


The things we do for Love

by Mexxi3003



Series: of world saving and heart stealing [2]
Category: The Musketeers (2014)
Genre: AU Story, Adventures, Crime, F/M, Heart Break, Romance, Slow Burn
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-06-04
Updated: 2018-08-12
Packaged: 2019-05-18 05:48:28
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 24
Words: 61,585
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14846960
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Mexxi3003/pseuds/Mexxi3003
Summary: Story of I can’t breathe without you continues.  In the midst of new love and the chaos of Rochefort, the four friends have to take on a new, unknown foe, brutal and sinister. Louis is in danger, as well as Anne. The four musketeers have to risk everything to protect them and having to deal with dramatic affairs of the heart doesn’t make it any easier.





	1. enemies old and new

**Author's Note:**

> Hello my dears!  
> Finally the story of our four musketeers continues. In this story they have to fight a new enemy and, as usual, protect the king and his cousin Anne, as well as her friend Constance. However, the hearts of the young ladies, and of our heroes, are also in danger.  
> Here is the continuation of “I can’t breathe without you”. It’s not necessary to have read that story first, but it will certainly help.

The streets of Paris had lost all of their charm tonight. Rain pelted the streets and every man and woman still outside tried to find a dry place as quickly as possible. The heavy cloud cover blocked out the moonlight. 

A black limousine drove up to the police station. The driver got out, hurried around the car and opened the door, holding an opened umbrella for the person inside. The passenger walked up the front steps of the police station and went inside.

“Marcheaux!” 

The man startled. He was sitting at his desk and had been so focused on something on his monitor that he hadn’t noticed someone entering his office. Hastily he got to his feet, pushing some papers aside. “Monsieur Duke? Sire, you’re in Paris?”

The Duke of Savoy wrinkled his nose at the general disarray. The only light in the office came from a small desk lamp. The darkness and driving rain outside made the atmosphere in the room even darker. “I’m here on business,” he said uninterestedly.

Marcheaux gave an insincere smile. “And I’m sure your wife wanted to see her brother?”  
The duke just snorted at the question. “I suppose Rochefort is still in a cell?”

Marcheaux started to feel uncomfortable. “Well, I can’t give out such information.”  
The duke just raised an eyebrow and gave him a hard look. 

Marcheaux didn’t have to think long. He opened the topmost drawer of his desk and took out a key card. “Here, with this card you can talk to him. There’s just one guard in the ante-room, so you’ll be undisturbed.”

Savoy left the room without another word. 

************************************************

Rochefort was lying on a cot, his forearm across his eyes to block out the light from the corridor. Somewhere, a door opened and then closed again with a loud bang. Some of the other inmates just turned around and tried to go back to sleep. He had to share his cell with a drunk and a small-time drug dealer. The former had so much alcohol in his system, that he didn’t even hear the noise. The drug dealer had his back turned to Rochefort.

He heard footsteps getting closer. Suddenly they stopped and someone knocked on the bars of his cell. Rochefort lowered his arm and opened his eyes. When he saw who his visitor was, he jumped up from the cot and tried to straighten his rumpled clothes. “Monsieur, such an honour. I had expected one of your lawyers. Why are you here at this hour?” He looked up and down the corridor, apparently searching for one of the guards.

“Rochefort, there won’t be a lawyer,” the duke informed him.

“Oh, will the charges be dropped?” Rochefort was visibly confused.  
“You will be transferred to the state prison tomorrow. I’m not here to get you out.”

“Monsieur, I don’t understand.”

“Rochefort, you’ve become useless. I just don’t need you any longer.” Savoy turned to leave  
Rochefort hammered against the bars. “Monsieur, I beg you! I have done everything you wanted. I helped the Red Guard, I spread the information about the tunnels. I even used my own money to raise the stakes for the break-in competitions. What more do you want?”

Savoy turned back around. “You got caught, and by a woman, of all people. Rochefort, you know better.” With that, the duke left Rochefort standing in the cold cell. Behind him the drunk continued snoring. At the end of the corridor, the door fell closed.

*************************************************

As soon as the duke had gotten back into the car, the black limousine drove off through the dark streets. After twenty minutes, it arrived at a building complex. The duke got out and entered the building. In his office on the top floor, he sat down behind his desk and powered the computer. At this time of the day, the other desks and offices were empty, and the secretaries had all gone home, so nobody could notice the dark figure entering the duke’s office. 

“Ah, Adrian, I hope no one saw you.”  
The man pushed back his hood. “Of course not. I got your message. How can I be of service?”

“My dear brother-in-law has fired his accountant and the man will go to prison.”  
Adrian smiled slightly. “Maybe you should trust the right man from now on.”

The duke slammed his fist on the desk. “I know *exactly* who I can trust. Rochefort was just a messenger, and you are nothing more, either. I want you to keep an eye on that cousin of Louis. She’s meddling in our affairs too much.”

Adrian just nodded. When the duke was angry, it was better not to argue with him.  
“You can go. I expect a report by the end of the week. And I don’t have to emphasize that I need access to all of Louis’ business files. Please see to that.”

Adrian pulled the hood back into his face. “You can count on me.” He disappeared again.   
Savoy turned to his computer. He typed something, clicked “send” and went to get himself a cup of coffee. While he turned on the coffeemaker, a message appeared on the computer monitor. 

<500.000 € transferred to police. Recipient; Marcheaux>


	2. Ordinary morning in Chateau Fontainbleau

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey, dearies.  
> Hope you all had a good week. I’m so glad that so many of you reading the second part of my story. Also wanna say thank you to the kudos: DebbieF, Hsg, GingietheSnap and Luthien17. Hope you will like this chapter too. Tell me in the comments. Also you will see the outfits and locations.  
> [Guard room location](https://pin.it/77oy2tymzqubtc)  
> [Louis Outfit](https://pin.it/cvitwp6cytt3x6)  
> [Annes Outfit](https://pin.it/z35ybcwaj4irkm)

Chapter 2: An ordinary morning at Chateau Fontainebleau

“Hey, you can’t keep me locked up here!”

A man was tied to a chair, his voice echoing from the stone walls of a cellar room. He had no idea if anyone could hear him – or was even around to hear him -, or how long he had been there. He just kept yelling. “Hey, I need to pee!” Slowly he was getting desperate. He tried jarring the chair, pushing off the ground again and again, but the chair didn’t move. Four thick bolts solidly connected it to the floor, preventing it from toppling over. It didn’t take long for the man’s movements to slow down. The waiting and the lack of food and drink had weakened his body. He let his head drop to his chest. An ordinary person would feel pity seeing him like this.

Not so the chief of security of Chateau Fontainebleau and his second-in-command. The two men were alone in the surveillance room, watching their prisoner through the camera. “Good, he’s starting to realize the situation. Have Durrand bring him some bread and water.”

Athos nodded. Treville had deliberately chosen a senior, experienced man and Athos went to find him.

It was still early in the morning. The gallery opening had ben two days ago and things had returned to their normal routine. Aramis and D’Artagnan had the late shift today, so they hadn’t arrived yet. Porthos, like a lot of the other guards, was in the guard room and that’s where Athos expected to find Durrand as well. 

He went into the room and where despite the early hour the general hustle and bustle was going on, as some of the men stood at the equipment lockers, picking up weapons, walkie-talkies and protection vests. A smaller group, the K-9s, headed into one of the adjoining rooms, where the kennels for the guard dogs were situated. 

Porthos stood at the coffee machine, telling a couple of men about his long night. Athos had no qualms interrupting the thrilling – and partly made-up story. “Where’s Durrand?”

“Ah, Athos, always the early bird. A woman would be the right cure for that,” Porthos teased and some of the men called out their approval. Athos just looked at him, keeping his expression absolutely emotionless. Porthos held his gaze for a few moments, then he gave up “Durrant is still with the dogs, giving an introduction to one of the newbies.”

Athos nodded in thanks and left. As Porthos had said, he found Durrand at the kennels situated at the edge of the Coeur des Offices, leading a young man past the dogs, who were barking loudly, but too well trained to go completely wild. “Durrand!” Athos called out and motioned for the man to come over to him. Durrand apparently sent the new recruit off on an errand and hurried to Athos. Every man on the security team had a lot of respect for the second-in-command.

“What can I do for you, Athos? I’m just giving one of the newbies, Michel, the introductory tour. The guy’s deadly afraid of the dogs,” he said, smiling.

“Treville wants you to take some bread and water to our prisoner.” Athos spoke in a low voice, but took care not to make them look too secretively. Durrand nodded and called out to one of the other men still standing at the kennels. “Lefevre, take over for me.” Then he followed Athos.

While Durrand stopped by the kitchen for some bread and a cup of water, Athos went back to the surveillance room.

On the way to the cellar, Durrand didn’t waste a thought on the fact that their keeping a man against his will was illegal. In the past, Louis’ security team had done far worse things in the name of justice, either to protect the king and his family, or because the people of Fontainebleau and the citizens of Paris demanded justice for a crime. The men were something like a special forces unit, not bound by the restrictions of the local authorities.

In the cellar room, he saw his former colleague, Martin. A sorry figure. The man looked up when he heard his footsteps. “Durrand?” The light coming in through a small opening high up on one wall was barely enough to see the outline of the man. 

“Martin, here’s some food and water.” Durrand put the food down and turned away.  
“Durrand, my friend. We had good times together. Remember that time we had to protect these women in the brothel? I covered for you there,” Martin pleaded.

Durrand stopped. “I just had my fun for thirty minutes. Nobody got hurt. *You’* have betrayed us.”

“No, I did the right thing, and you can do the same. Untie me, follow me to Paris. They’ll reward you! With our information….” 

Durrand had reached the exit and could not hear him any longer. It hurt to see a good friend like this, but then he had also been deeply hurt by Martin’s betrayal. 

Athos and Treville had watched the little scene with interest. Now they had proof on record that Martin had worked for the Red Guard and that they had paid him for it. It was time to ask him a few questions.

****************************************************

Aramis stood in Anne’s office. He had hoped to find her there, but no luck. Just as he turned back towards the door, it opened from the outside. “Anne, good, I was looking for you.” He stepped aside to let her enter.

“Aramis, it’s nice to see you.” Anne was unsure how to handle this situation. After their kiss and Rochefort’s attack they had hardly seen each other, much less had had time to talk. 

“I just came to tell you that Rochefort was transferred to the state prison today.”  
Anne was relieved to hear that, but surprised at the speed of the procedure. “So quickly? Doesn’t there have to be a trial first?”

Aramis shook his head and leaned against the doorframe. “Your cousin has contacts. The trial in two months’ time will just be a formality for the public. Rochefort will stay behind bars for a long time, the judge assured Louis of that.”

Anne felt a weight lift off her mind, that Rochefort wouldn’t be able to get close to her again. However, there was another thought that preyed on her mind each night. Aramis noticed that something was wrong with her and stepped closer. He tugged her gently against his chest and wrapped his arms around her. “You look like you haven’t gotten a lot of sleep lately.”

Anne sighed. “I can’t sleep, Aramis. I physically hurt someone. Lemay said that Rochefort might become blind in this eye. I didn’t want that to happen.”

Aramis pulled her even closer and placed a kiss on the top of her head. “Anne, it wasn’t your fault. He deserves that and actually much more. If I had gotten my hands on him a little sooner….I don’t know what I would have done.” He felt Anne starting to tremble. His word’s obviously hadn’t helped, so he changed his approach. “What you did was in self-defense. No one will blame you or accuse you of a crime. If you want, we can report it, but I swear the police will tell you the same thing.” That seemed to be more helpful and Anne calmed down a little. Once she had stopped trembling, she snuggled closer to Aramis, reveling in the feeling of him.

Aramis certainly did not mind. After a few long moments, Anne reluctantly pushed him back. “I’m sorry, but I have to go to Louis, he wants to see me.”

Aramis nodded. “I’ll take you to his rooms.”  
Together they stepped out into the corridor. Aramis was tempted to reach for her hand, but he wanted to give her the space she might need.

******************************************

Constance turned over in her bed, pulling the covers with her. A few seconds later she heard grumbling, and something tugged the covers back, before someone snuggled against her from behind and draped an arm across her hip. “Good morning,” D’Artagnan whispered, before he kissed her. 

“Good morning. Did you sleep well?”   
“Yes, not quite long enough, but well.”

Constance moved, but he held her back. “Stay here. I have the morning off, let’s enjoy the time together.”

Constance wriggled free and managed to get out of bed. “You may have the morning off, but I have to take care of some things.”

D’Artagnan buried his head in his pillow, so that his next words came out muffled. “I thought Anne wanted to rest and you wanted to do the same.”

Constance laid back down beside him and snuggled against his chest. “I guess there’s nothing wrong with five more minutes….”

D’Artagnan closed his eyes again. “I think so, too.”

*********************************************

“Anne, how beautiful you look again. How are you feeling?” Louis greeted her enthusiastically. She had barely said goodbye to Aramis and stepped into Louis’s room, when he came up to her. Today he wore a comparatively casual outfit, consisting of dark red chinos with matching shoes and a light cotton poloshirt.

“Louis, good morning. I’m fine, thank you for asking. I already took a short walk in the English Garden this morning.”

“A very good choice, I have to say. The English Garden is the most beautiful one.”  
A tall man Anne hadn’t noticed before came over to them. “Dearest cousin,” he said, taking a bow and kissing her hand. 

“Anne, do you remember the Duke of Savoy, my dear sister’s husband?” Louis introduced his guest.

“Oh yes, I was at your wedding. How is your wife? What brings you to Paris?”  
Savoy regarded her. So this was the woman who had unmasked his henchman.  
“My wife is very well, thank you. I’m in Paris on business. I have an office and an apartment there. My card.” He handed Anne a business card. “Madame, Louis just told me about the attack on you. However, it looks like nothing could rattle you.”

Anne was wearing a dark, knee-length dress with a floral print, and blue wedges. A white hat and two-tone sunglasses for protection against the sun, and an unusual handbag completed her look. 

“Well, I had time to recover from the incident and four bodyguards are always close to me,” Anne answered. 

Savoy realized, that Anne wanted to speak with Louis in private, so he discreetly took his leave. “Louis, I think we covered everything. I’ll see you in the city at some time.”

“Absolutely, my dear brother-in-law. For lunch maybe.” Louis accompanied Savoy to the door, where a servant was already waiting to show him to his car, and then returned to Anne. “Anne, thank you for coming.”

Anne smiled at him. “What can I do for you?”  
“With Rochefort gone – may he roast in hell – I’m sorely lacking competence in financial matters.” Louis offered her a chair and they sat down at the large table. 

“Rochefort has taken care of a lot of matters for you. I can imagine that some of his colleagues have left, too, out of loyalty to him,” Anne assumed.

“You’re absolutely right. Five people have resigned! Finance and Accounting are at a standstill!”  
“I’m sorry, Louis.”

He made a dismissive gesture. “It can’t be helped. I wanted to ask you, if you could perhaps extend your stay a little and help with a new set-up – or better yet, take the head yourself. At the moment, I trust only a small number of people.” Louis took her hands. “You, Anne, are one of them.”

Anne thought for a moment. “Louis, I’m glad to help, but I would like to discuss it with Constance first. After all, she’s not only my assistant, but also my friend.”

Louis clapped his hands. “Good, speak with her, but I thank you already. If she says no, I’ll get you a new assistant.” Louis got up and left, without a word of goodbye or a thought that she might not want a new assistant. However, Anne was used to it and she had a feeling Constance wouldn’t mind staying longer.


	3. Interrogation

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Party People,  
> Chapter 3 is on the way. I Hope you will like this new character of writing. I wanna say thank you to Greenlips for kudos and comments. A Picture of the location from Savoys office   
> [Savoy office](https://pin.it/7g67ihrzg7d4af)

Chapter 3: Interrogation

Treville stood in the cellar room where Martin was held. The man had now resorted to pleading. “Treville, you can’t keep me locked up down here. A whole week has passed. I haven’t seen my friends and my family, and I haven’t seen daylight since then either.”

The captain clucked his tongue. “It’s been only two days, you have hardly any friends and you stopped talking to your family a long time ago. And you get daylight from up there,” he said, pointing to a small window high on the left wall. 

There was a chair in front of Martin, that the man hadn’t noticed before. Treville sat down and regarded Martin unswervingly. Martin had no idea what to make of it. “Treville….”

The captain raised a hand. “I just want to know why.” He kept his voice carefully neutral, but anyone who knew him, could see that he was very disappointed. Loyalty was one of the highest virtues within the walls of the chateau. Nevertheless, Martin looked straight into Treville’s eyes, not ashamed of what he had done. “The Red Guard offered me money. More than the king. I have my needs. Women are expensive and hey, I could do with a car.”

“So it was just about money?” It was more of a statement than a question. Athos, hidden behind the wall as backup for Treville, listened without a word. He could only shake his head at this appalling lack of loyalty. If you couldn’t even trust your colleagues…  
Treville leaned back in the chair. “What else do you know?”

“Do you really think I’d rat on them? After this stuff here, I can only go to them. I won’t betray them.”

Treville leaned forward again and lowered his voice to a conspiratorial whisper. “You won’t work in Paris any longer anyway, either for us or for the Red Guard.” He pulled an envelope from the inner pocket of his jacket. “This is a plane ticket to Brazil. After our little talk, you’ll get on a plane and live there for e couple of years.”

“Or what?”

“The police and the District Attorney tend to frown upon drug related crimes.”   
Martin raised his eyebrows. “What drugs?”

Treville got up and walked around Martin until he stood behind him. “The drugs that Athos has hidden in your apartment yesterday. I think you’ll get five to eight years for that. So, either you go to prison or to Brazil. Your choice.” He walked back to the chair and sat down again. 

A couple of minutes passed, while Martin thought about the offer.   
“Tick, tock…” Treville grew impatient.

“Untie me. I don’t want to be trussed up like an animal,” Martin demanded.   
Treville regarded him. The last two days had taken their toll on the man; despite the food and water he looked exhausted. With Athos having his back, Treville felt no qualms untying him. Once he was free, Martin rubbed his stiff hands and wrists and began to speak. “What do you want to know?”

“Who else?”   
Martin threw his hands in the air and laughed mockingly. “I hope you have a list. The Red Guard snatches up every man you fire. Every man you treated unfairly. D’Artagnan’s dear old friend is now working for them as well.”

“Moreau?”  
“That’s the one.”  
“And for what purpose?”

“Well, I don’t know exactly. They never tell anyone. That’s something you have in common. They just needed me for the cameras. We all have our separate tasks and no one is ever told everything.”

“And your task was to turn off the cameras?”  
Martin nodded. “Yes, I was supposed to stop them recording, so that they could kill the king without being seen. The break-in and the thefts were only a smokescreen.”

Treville was taken aback. “Which theft?”  
“There was just one man from the Red Guard in the chateau. The second one, in the east wing, was just a simple thief. He had nothing to do with the Guard. Just a distraction.”  
“And how did the Guard man know where he had to go?”

“The plans,” Martin said simply. “Rochefort has provided the Red Guard with the plans. With that, it was child’s play.”  
“Plans of the chateau?” Treville asked. 

“No, plans of the tunnels.” Martin didn’t realize that Treville was fishing for information and testing him. “The Guard doesn’t have any other plans. That’s why the attempt was unsuccessful, the fool was walking around aimlessly most of the time. Then he encountered Jonsen and shot him. I saw everything, since the cameras were still running. They were just not recording anything.”

There was one last question on Treville’s mind. “It was still murder. Why were they so unscrupulous? Did they think, just because the cameras were off, we wouldn’t be able to prove they killed him?”

 

Martin thought about that. “We’ve asked ourselves the same thing. Moreau and I were sitting in a pub, speculating. He thought they have someone in the police who takes care of such things for them.”  
“Name?” Treville wanted to end the talk quickly, since it seemed that Martin didn’t have any other useful information. 

Martin answered the question despite the gruff manner. “I have no idea, Captain. No name was ever mentioned. As I said, we didn’t know much.”  
Treville got to his feet. 

“Hey, wait! What about our deal?” Martin asked.   
“Durrand will be here shortly and give you the tickets. A taxi will pick you up at the courtyard to take you to the airport.” Treville turned to the exit.  
“I still need to pack!”

“No, you don’t.” Treville headed back to the upper part of the chateau, with Athos following behind him like a shadow. 

Upstairs, Treville waited for Athos to catch up with him. “The others are already here. We’ll have a meeting in a few minutes.” 

Athos nodded and followed Treville into the office, where a slightly disheveled D’Artagnan, as well as Aramis and Porthos were already waiting. 

“Messieurs, good that you’re all here.” Treville sat down across from them and dialed a number on his phone, while Athos took a seat beside his friends. “Durrand, you can call the taxi now. Get the letter from me first, then you can put the prisoner into the taxi.” He hung up again and turned to the men. “Martin talked.”

“Didn’t expect anything else, the rat,” Porthos said derisively.   
“Just hear what he had to say first,” Athos said.

“Thanks, Athos. Now, it looks like the Red Guard has an interest in all of our men. They’re recruiting anyone who has been fired, is frustrated with us our just wants to change their loyalty for money.”

“That’s a problem. We need to check out all recent layoffs. Those people had to sign a non-disclosure agreement, but there’s no telling if they’ll keep it,” Aramis said. 

Treville nodded. “I’ll put some of the new recruits on it. Apart from that, Martin didn’t know much. Apparently, Moreau is with the Guard now as well.” The last words were addressed specifically to D’Artagnan. The young man felt guilty and wanted to make up for his mistake. “I’ll take care of him.”

“No, he’ll notice, and we’ll lose the element of surprise. Lefevre will do that. You take care of our new recruits.” 

D’Artagnan reluctantly agreed. A knock on the door interrupted their meeting.   
“Come in.”

Lefevre poked his head into the room. “I’m here for the letter. The taxi has already arrived.”  
“Very good.” Treville opened a drawer in his desk, took out an envelope and handed it to Lefevre.

“Thanks.” The door closed again behind him.  
“What about Rochefort?” Porthos asked, picking up the thread of their discussion again.  
“He has been transferred to the state prison today. He didn’t want to spill to anyone how he got his hands on the plans of the tunnels,” Aramis said, looking around at the other men. 

“Martin only said that the Guard got the plans from him,” Athos said.  
“So, where did *he* get the plans?” Porthos asked the question that Treville had been pondering for some time as well. 

“We have to find out. We also need to check if there are other plans and/or tunnels we don’t know about. Athos, Porthos, please take care of this.”  
Both men nodded. 

“And what do we do about the police?” Athos asked a final question before the meeting ended.

“The police?” Aramis wasn’t sure what the problem was.  
“Martin carelessly let slip that the Red Guard has someone inside the police, helping them. He didn’t have any details, so I’m going to ask some of my contacts,” Athos explained.

“We should keep an eye on Marcheaux. He’s not on the king’s side, that’s for sure.”  
“Good idea, Porthos. Let’s see what I can find out about him.” With that, Treville ended the meeting. Athos stayed behind, while Aramis and Porthos headed for the guardroom and D’Artagnan went to meet with the new recruits for a training session.

*****************************************************

After his visit with Louis, Savoy had just returned to his office building in the heart of the La Défense quarter of Paris. He took the elevator up to his floor and as he stepped off, his assistant was already waiting for him. 

“Ah, Monsieur, there you are. I have the dossiers of the objects you requested. I’d just like to point out that all of these buildings belong to your brother-in-law,” he said, following Savoy into the office. Savoy put down his bag and powered up the PC. 

“I am aware of that. You think I didn’t know? I want these buildings, so get them for me by the end of the week.”

“Of course, sir. Consider it done. Do you want them registered under Savoy Enterprises?”  
Savoy waved a hand dismissively. “No, use a dummy company. What about the dossier on Louis’ cousin, Anne?”

“We’re still working on it. She seems to be travelling a lot, which makes it more difficult.”  
“Just do your job,” Savoy snarled. He hated to be kept waiting. “And what about my new CEO, Cluzet? Where is he?”  
“He was last seen at the Gare du Nord.”

“Find him! And now get out!” Savoy roared.

*********************************************

Anne was on her way from Louis’ rooms to apartment no. 48, which had been assigned to Constance. Before she had reached the door, it was flung open and D’Artagnan stepped out, heading away from Anne and too busy straightening his clothes to even notice her presence. She went through the open door and found Constance inside, somewhat scantily dressed.

“Oh, I can see that you’ve been busy until now,” she said teasingly.   
“Anne? How…Oh….I….Ehm….” Constance stammered.

Anne laughed. “Hey, it’s okay! I’m so happy for you.”  
Constance relaxed. “Thanks, Anne. However, I should get dressed, who knows who might come through the door next.” She went over to her wardrobe and Anne followed her. “Unfortunately, I need to talk with you,” Anne said.

“Oh-oh, that doesn’t sound so good.” Constance rummaged around in the wardrobe.  
“Louis has asked me to extend my stay here. He wants me to help set up a new Finance department.”  
“But that’s wonderful!”  
“Yes, it is, but as I said, we’ll be staying longer than we thought and I’m going to need your help, so I told Louis that you had to agree as well.”

Constance smoothed down the t-shirt she had just put on. “Of course I agree. It’s a big chance for you.”

“Good, that’s settled then.” The two women grinned at each other. After a few moments, Constance broke the silence. “I have an idea. We haven’t been to Fontainebleau yet, and now that we’ll stay here for the time being, I think it’s our duty to explore this wonderful little town.”

“That’s perfect! A little sightseeing will do us good. I can ask Jeany, she told me she’s new here as well, so I’m sure she’d be interested.”

Constance nodded and started to look for some trousers, while Anne dialed Jeany’s number. After two rings, there was an answer. “Hello, Jeany! Bonjour. Ca va?” There was a short silence while she listened to the reply. “Yes, I’m okay again. Constance and I want to go sightseeing in Fontainebleau tomorrow. Would you like to come? If you have time, that is; I heard that the opening brought you a good number of customers.” Another silence, while Anne listened.

“Oh, very good! We’ll pick you up tomorrow around eleven then, okay? Salut!”


	4. Fontainbleau

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey all of you.   
> Today is a great chapter. Our four heroes and the ladies are making a little trip. Of course they will see a lot.   
> So here are the links for the locations and outfits.   
> [Chateau de By Thomery](https://pin.it/4mqtaoosuvgoci) [Musée Stéphane Mallarmé](https://pin.it/opzip3r2ukx7ge) [Musée Stéphane Mallarmé Map](https://pin.it/fsd7zeoblszxyk) [paroisse saint louis](https://pin.it/2sv4gc66jmmr7p) [paroisse saint louis Map](https://pin.it/adbgychbs5ohqs) [Villa Tokyo Map](https://pin.it/udmf3gd6cxyfcr) [Jean Cocteau House](https://pin.it/3hyvj72hjcsqoo) [Jean Cocteau House Map](https://pin.it/idggwdajwiyz56)  
> [Aramis Outfit](https://pin.it/6tytwl6f5ll3ab)  
> [Jeany Outfit](https://pin.it/b2iuqq2p52ergx)  
> [Anne Outfit](https://pin.it/thrrby4tfudrnc)  
> [Constance Outfit](https://pin.it/uca7hdefl4it5v)  
> [Athos Outfit](https://pin.it/dewqk4t6jztglw)  
> [Porthos Outfit](https://pin.it/2u5rzmuvnv3yey)

Chapter 4: Fontainbleau

Early the next day, the sun was just rising, Constance was on her way to Anne’s rooms. For their sightseeing tour she had selected an ankle-length apricot dress with a wide, off-the-shoulder ruffle, comfortable, low-heeled strappy sandals and a small white handbag with a few essential items. Since they would be outside a lot today, she also carried a pair of sunglasses.

Anne met her in the corridor. “Constance, nice to see that you’re already up, too. Good morning! Ready for some sightseeing?”

The two women embraced. “Good morning to you, too! Well, you’re looking colourful today,” Constance said, noticing Anne’s outfit. Her friend was wearing a light blue blouse, tied at the waist, with flared, elbow-length, embroidered sleeves, and an unusually cut yellow midi-skirt.  
Unlike Constance she had chosen flat Chelsea boots and a bordeaux hat.

“Come, let’s go to the cars. We don’t want to be late and keep Jeany waiting.”

At the foot of the wide steps leading to the courtyard, two large Volvos were standing. As Anne and Constance went down, Athos overtook them from behind. “Mesdames, bonjour. You want to take a tour through Fontainebleau today?”

The women turned around to him. “Yes, we’ll pick up Jeany first, she’s waiting for us at the gallery.”

Athos nodded and opened the door to the first car. 

“Will you be the only one to come with us?” Constance asked. She had obviously hoped for a different bodyguard.

“No, there will be three of us. D’Artagnan sends his regrets.”

Constance blushed at that and got into the car without another word. Meanwhile, Aramis and Porthos came down the steps as well. “Ah, I see the ladies were once again faster than us,” 

Aramis said. Anne glanced at him, trying – and largely failing – to hide her obvious joy at seeing him. To cover her reaction, she quickly turned to Porthos, who had come to stand beside Athos. “Treville said you’re familiar with Fontainebleau and can give us some tips for a little tour.”

Porthos smiled, feeling flattered. “Madame, it would be an honour to show you around. I have a few ideas.”

Anne nodded and got into the car. “Well, then you can be our tour guide for today.”  
Athos and Porthos took the first car with Anne and Constance, and Aramis followed them in the second car. Their first stop in Fontainebleau was the gallery. They arrived just as Jeany come out of the door and waved at them. Athos got out and joined Aramis in the second car, so that Jeany could take the passenger seat, with Porthos driving. 

“Hello, everybody. How are you? We’ll have a great day!”

“Hello, Jeany. How nice that you could come with us. We’re fine. Bright-eyed and bushy-tailed, so to speak. Porthos will be our tour guide,” Anne explained, while Porthos started the car again. “Mesdames, our first stop will be the Museum Stéphane Mallarmé,” he announced.  
“Oh yes, I have heard about it. Isn’t it the home of a poet, which now houses famous works of art and the like?” Jeany asked. Porthos nodded.

The drive didn’t take long; their destination was on the other side of the Seine, north-east of Fontainebleau. Porthos stopped in a small parking lot, where they got out of the cars. Porthos went ahead and the women followed him, while Aramis and Athos stayed a little way behind them, which gave Athos the opportunity to admire Jeany again. Today she wore a very short, black jumpsuit. High heels accentuated her long legs. Like Anne, she wore a hat, and a number of necklaces and bracelets spruced up the simple outfit. 

Constance admired the house they were walking towards. It wasn’t very large, at least not compared to the chateau, but its three storeys served their purpose. Vines climbed up the walls. When they reached the entrance, Porthos organized a private tour for them. 

Although Anne usually loved artworks, she found it very hard to concentrate on the tour. 

Aramis used every possibility to be close to her, with slight touches on her arm or her back, but what really took her breath away was, when he stood behind her and leaned forward, so that she could feel his breath against her face, while he pretended to be interested in the respective painting or statue and reading the info text. 

Once again, he looked very handsome. Standing in a secluded corner, she had the time and privacy to admire not only the statue placed there, but Aramis as well. He wore light-coloured chinos and a brown shirt with the sleeves rolled up. Aviator sunglasses gave him a somehow mysterious touch.

As they went back outside, the women were whispering among themselves. It looked like they were talking about art, but every now and then, Anne’s and Jeany’s eyes strayed to the men. After a short phone call, Porthos turned to the group. “I suggest we go to the Chateau de By Thomery next.”

Once they were back in the cars, with Aramis and Porthos driving, Anne and Jeany talked about the paintings they had seen. Constance had fallen silent, every now and then typing something on her phone. 

********************************************

D’Artagnan had assembled the young recruits in the courtyard, warming up for the upcoming endurance exercise. He had just finished a couple of stretchings when his cellphone vibrated. A text from Constance. 

He typed a quick answer, before he started jogging towards the forest, with ten new members of the security team behind him.

**********************************************

They drove south along the Seine and crossed a bridge to the other side again. “Mesdames, may I present Chateau de By Thomerie, the former studio-“ Before Porthos could continue, Anne interrupted him. “of Rosa Bonheur, a famous painter. Oh, look, how romantic!” she said, as they got out of the car.

Porthos was proud that his instinct had been right. They were standing in front of a timber frame house that was unusually tall for its age. Aramis and Athos weren’t quite as enthusiastic about Porthos’ choice as the women, but they recognized that it had been a good idea. Thanks to the men’s connections they could get a private tour here as well.   
“Ugh, how dusty….” Jeany wasn’t really fond of the house. Old furniture, newspapers and other bric-a-brac was everywhere, obviously in the attempt to create a certain atmosphere. 

“Eeewwww….” She stumbled back and collided with someone standing behind her. “Oh, I ‘m sorry,” she said, turning around to find Athos behind her, his hand protectively on her hip. “You don’t seem to like the house,” he said. His voice sounded very dark and rough, but it had a soothing effect on her. 

“No, not really. Look at that moldy food….” she said, pointing at the plate that had made her flinch back in disgust.

“Come on, we can go out into the garden, it should be much nicer there.” Athos took her hand and led her outside. The other four were raptly following the tour and didn’t really notice the absence of two members of their group. 

In the garden, Athos spread his leather jacket on the ground, leaving him in a black shirt and dark grey jeans. They sat in the sun, talked a lot and told each other about their work.   
At midday, the others came out of the house and joined their two missing members, who were relaxing in the sun. “Here you are!” At some point, Constance had started to wonder where Jeany and Athos had wandered off to. 

“Yes, sorry, but the air inside became too stuffy for me,” Jeany said. Athos stood up and helped her to her feet.

“No problem.” Constance nodded. “I’m getting hungry, what about you?”  
“Well, there’s a very good Japanese restaurant in Fontainebleau,” Aramis suggested. They all agreed and went back to the cars. Constance glanced at her cellphone, finding a new message from D’Artagnan.   
“Oh, Anne, could you take a quick photo of me?” Constance asked.

“Of course.” Constance handed her the phone and Anne took a photo of her in the garden, with the house in the back ground, before they hurried back to the cars. With everybody back inside, Aramis and Porthos drove to the restaurant, while Constance sent her photo to D’Artagnan.

At the restaurant, they were seated in a secluded corner, with the ladies at one table and the bodyguards at another, so that they could stay in the background, but not too far away. Once the food was ordered, they talked about everything under the sun; family and jobs, fashion and hobbies… Constance was mostly silent, only joining in once in a while. She was busy texting with D’Artagnan. 

“Jeany, I think Constance finds her cellphone much more interesting than us,” Anne noticed. “Or someone with another cellphone,” Jeany teased, winking at her. Constance noticed the looks of the two women and looked up. All three of them started to laugh. “Tell him we said hi,” Anne said. She understood that young love needed the time.

************************************

At the shooting range in the cellars of the chateau, D’Artagnan was also occupied with his phone. The recruits were shooting at paper targets, while he sat at a table nearby, texting with Constance. 

“D’Artagnan, my gun won’t reload,” one of the recruits complained. Reluctantly, D’Artagnan put the phone down and turned back to the task at hand.

******************************************

After lunch, the group continued their tour. “Porthos, where are we going next?”  
Porthos kept his eyes on the road while he answered. “To a very small, but famous and beautiful church in Fontainebleau, the Paroisse Saint Louis.”

The church was only a few streets from the restaurant. Thanks to their parking permit, Aramis and Porthos could park the cars directly in front of the church. They were on high alert here, since the town was more crowded than the last two locations had been. Porthos stayed outside with the cars, while Aramis and Athos went inside with the women, keeping a close eye on their surroundings. As promised, the church was magnificent, with colourful windows and an altar decorated with gold and small statuettes. 

Anne stood a little apart from the others, looking at the flower arrangements laid out everywhere. “Looks like a wedding is scheduled for the weekend,” Aramis remarked. As usual, he was standing behind her unnoticed. Anne nodded in agreement. “Yes, how nice, and in such a beautiful church, too. Although I wouldn’t have chosen roses.”   
Aramis was surprised. “Isn’t the rose the flower of love?”

“Yes, but it is used and given for so many occasions. I associate roses with birthdays and mourning as well,” Anne explained. 

“What would be your choice of flowers then?”  
“For a wedding?”  
“For *your* wedding,” Aramis said, putting emphasis on the pronoun. 

“Well, lilies, the crest of our family,” Anne answered simply.   
She went over to Constance. “Come on, I’ll take a picture of you,” she offered.   
“Oh, that’s nice.” They quickly took the picture and Anne made sure that it showed more of Constance than the church. After all, D’Artagnan would only be interested in one object in the photo, she thought with a smile. 

****************************************

The photo reached D’Artagnan just as he had finished the last training unit of combat exercises. The men were all exhausted and sweaty. The young recruits headed for the showers together, while D’Artagnan decided to stay a little longer and do some crunches and push-ups. He was used to the rigorous training.

***********************************

As they stepped out of the church again, Porthos registered movement from the corner of his eye. Aramis reacted as well. An older man, whose clothes had seen better days, rushed up to Anne. “Madame, please, alms for your people.” He fell to his knees in front of her and raised his hands in a pleading gesture. Aramis stood protectively beside Anne, his hand on the holster of his gun, while Porthos and Athos holstered their weapons and relaxed slightly, but stayed alert. It could be a distraction. Anne took some money out of her handbag. “Here is something for you. God bless you,” she said. The beggar gratefully accepted.

Aramis gently pushed Anne towards the cars and let out a breath of relief once she was safely inside. Constance and Jeany quickly got into the car as well and they drove off. “Well, after this surprising visit, we’ll go to our last stop, the house of Jean Cocteau,” Porthos said, driving out of Fontainebleau and through the Foret de Fontainebleau. At a crossroads he told the women, “Here are the Randonée des Gorges d’Apremont. Perfect for rock climbing.”

“Oh, I always wanted to try that,” Jeany said. 

“Then we’ll put it on the list. I did some climbing back in Spain, but only easy stuff,” Constance decided. 

“Okay, we’ll make a note of it. Anne, what about you?” Jeany asked.  
“Oh no, you two go ahead, I prefer to stay on solid ground,” Anne said. Their little discussion ended when they reached their last destination. It was very sunny, so Porthos put on a basecap and a pair of sunglasses as he got out of the car. He wore a simple black shirt and distressed jeans. 

The house was even smaller than the first one they had visited, and it was so overgrown with ivy that you couldn’t see much of the brick walls underneath. A man came out of the door.   
“Ah, the dear musketeers. Such an honour so far out on the other side of the Foret de Fontainebleau.” He took a bow. Athos and Aramis came up to them and Porthos addressed the man. “Monsieur, may I introduce Anne, the king’s cousin, and her two friends, Constance and Jeany. They would like to see the house.”

The man beamed excitedly. “Of course, my pleasure! Please follow me.” He gestured expansively. Jeany and Constance followed him, with Athos and Porthos behind them. Anne and Aramis brought up the rear. “Aramis, why did that man just call you ‘musketeers’?”

Aramis held open the door for her, grinning. The others had already gone ahead, but he and Anne enjoyed their moment of privacy and made no effort to catch up with them. “Well, I’m sure you know the story. In the past, when France still had a king – around the middle to end of the 16th century – there were the musketeers. They were an infantry unit, armed, as the name suggests, with muskets. A small group, the King’s musketeers, reported directly to him. They were fiercely loyal, almost chivalrous, and helped the people.”

Anne smiled slightly. “Chivalrous?” Aramis took her hand and breathed a kiss on it. “Whatever you wish, Mademoiselle.” Anne giggled. 

“Well, some people see us as modern-day musketeers. Louis is the king and we’re his private combat unit.” 

“Yes, I can see the parallels. But I hope you don’t put yourself in danger quite as often as the historical musketeers,” Anne said, thinking of the attack a few weeks ago. 

“We are responsible for security and yes, sometimes we get into dangerous situations. But you can be sure that I will always watch over you.” Aramis took a quick look around to make sure they were alone, then he gave her a quick kiss. It was short and fleeting, but Anne felt Aramis’ hunger for life in it and responded passionately. 

“Anne, are you here?” At the sound of Constance’s voice the two of them separated. “We should go join them.”

The sun was just setting when the six of them stepped out of the house, tired from the day. Remembering her manners, Anne thanked Porthos. “We will recommend you as a tour guide. Thank you very much.” 

“My pleasure, Mesdames. I think we should go back to the chateau now.”  
Athos and Aramis noded. 

“You two take a car together, I’ll take Jeany home in the other one,” Athos decided, leading Jeany to the second Volvo. 

“Okay,” Aramis answered, joining Porthos in the first car. The four of them left the parking lot in the direction of the chateau. Halfway home, Anne received a phone call. “Yes, hello?”

“Anne? Something terrible has happened! You have to come immediately! Immediately!” she heard Louis’ frantic voice on the other end of the line.

“Louis, please calm down. What happened?”  
“It’s gone! I’m ruined! Everything is gone!” Instead of calming down, Louis became increasingly hysterical. 

“What is gone?” Anne asked, but Louis had already hung up.

*********************************************************

Athos and Jeany were sitting silently beside each other as he drove along the road to Fontainebleau. His hand slowly strayed from the gearshift to her thigh and came to rest there. Not wanting to scare him off, Jeany didn’t say anything, just enjoyed the warmth of his touch. At the gallery they both got out of the car. “Would you like to come in for a cup of coffee?” 

Jeany asked, even though she usually didn’t drink coffee. Athos took the key from her hand and unlocked the door. He pulled her inside, closing the door firmly behind them. “I’m in the mood for something other than coffee,” he said. After that, the only sounds were Jeany’s giggles and a surprised squeak of delight when he picked her up and carried her to the bedroom.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Im really excited to read, what do you think about this chapter.


	5. Murder at lunch

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, between the games of the World Cup, Im just posting a new chapter. This time its full of crime. Hope you will like it. And I wanna say thank you to all the kudos. Its always such a good feeling to get new ones.  
> Also I have here [Constance Outfit](https://pin.it/zpl4cc2ztzyglg) and [Louis Outfit](https://pin.it/4tfdusw7jltjdp) . Also here is a map of Fontainbleau and the [location of the crime scene](https://pin.it/5qz36l7sve5nec) .

Chapter 5: Murder at Lunch

The Volvo arrived back at the chateau. Anne, Constance and Aramis got out and while Porthos took the car back to the garage, Aramis accompanied the two women up the stairs. Inside, Anne and Constance said good night and went their separate ways. Aramis accompanied Anne a little further. As they walked along the corridors, every now and then their hands brushed against each other. There was a pleasant silence between them. Words weren’t always necessary, the two of them just enjoyed being together. At the door to the guard room they stopped. 

“I hope you had a nice day today,” Aramis said with a questioning look at Anne. 

“Yes. Please thank Porthos from me again.” Anne took his hand. “I hope you didn’t mind all that art too much.” Aramis shook his head and stepped a little closer. “No, I would have preferred different locations, but I enjoy our time together very much, wherever we are. And the art wasn’t that bad.” He came even closer, looking around to make sure that no one was around to see them, before he kissed her. Anne snuggled against him, one hand clutching his shirt, while the other wandered up to the back of his neck. His hands wrapped around her hips, pressing her fully against his body. When they separated, Anne was a little breathless. “Unfortunately, I have to go meet Louis now, but I hope that we can do that again some time,” she said.

Aramis was still standing very close to her. “Do you mean the tour or the kiss?” 

Anne smiled and took a step back. “Why don’t you find out?” Then she turned around and headed to Louis’s rooms. 

Aramis watched until she had disappeared, then he stepped into the guard room, where he was greeted by D’Artagnan. “How was Fontainebleau?”

Aramis secured his gun in the locker, before taking a seat beside D’Artagnan at the table. “Not too bad. Porthos had a few ideas that weren’t exactly my cup of tea. We went to three museums, D’Artagnan, three! I mean, look at me, am I not a work of art myself?”

Before D’Artagnan could answer, Porthos appeared from behind them. Apparently, he had taken the back entrance, which was closer to the garage. “Well, the ladies were more interested in the paintings and statues than in you,” he said. He and D’Artagnan started to laugh. Aramis pretended to be insulted for a moment, before he joined in. 

“Probably they were so overwhelmed by everything, that they couldn’t see the true work of art. Especially since one of the ladies was clearly distracted.” Aramis leaned back in his chair.  
D’Artagnan pricked up his ears. “What do you mean?”

“So you noticed it too?” Porthos asked, completely ignoring D’Artagnan. Aramis took pity on his youngest friend. “Jeany, the photographer, and our Athos.”

D’Artagnan was surprised, but refrained from a comment, seeing that the man had a higher rank and so far, he wasn’t doing anything that might endanger his position. “Well, messieurs, unlike you, I couldn’t take a leisurely stroll around town, I had to train those recruits. So, I’ll be calling it a day.” D’Artagnan left the room, but instead of going to the garage und ultimately his apartment, he went to the east wing of the chateau. 

*************************************************

Anne didn’t have to search very long for Louis. She found him sitting on the floor in his office, surrounded by heaps of scattered pages.

“Louis, what’s going on? What happened?”

Louis looked up, so engrossed in what he had been doing that it took him a few seconds to realize who was standing before him. “Anne, thank God! He’s taking everything!”

Anne sat down beside him on the floor. She knew that he didn’t like being talked down to. “Louis, who is taking everything? And more importantly, what exactly is it he’s taking?”

Louis was beside himself, pulling out pages at random. “Here, my buildings, he’s buying up everything. All those beautiful buildings, all that revenue!”

Now Anne had a slightly clearer picture of what was going on. She took some of the pages and looked through them. “We’ll go through it together. First, we have to determine the extent of the damage. For that we need a list of all buildings and sales. Call your asset management team, tell them to come over.” As usual, Anne kept a cool head, and Louis followed her advice like a child. He didn’t have much choice. He made the call to the management team and went back to Anne. 

“We’ll get an overview of the situation and then you’ll meet with him. Have your assistant set up an appointment. You wanted to meet for lunch anyway,” Anne decided.

*****************************************

D’Artagnan entered the apartment without knocking. On the way to the bedroom, he stripped down to his boxers and then joined the woman lying in the bed. The dip of the mattress woke her up and she snuggled against him. 

After their tour, Constance had changed into a comfortable green-and-pink checked shorty pajama, answered a few e-mails and had then gone to bed, and that’s where D’Artagnan found her. He had nothing against her outfit, for his taste she was even a little overdressed. 

“So, did you have fun today?” she asked. D’Artagnan put an arm around her and closed his eyes. “Well, if you call an endurance run with ten sweaty newbies, followed by an afternoon at the shooting range in the basement of the chateau fun, then yes, I had a lot of fun.”

Close to sleep, Constance murmured, “I had fun, even without the sweaty newbies. Although, maybe I would have liked to have you with me, sweaty or otherwise.”

A few minutes later, D’Artagnan heard her breathing even out and fell asleep himself.

****************************************

Louis arrived at the restaurant. For the meeting he had chosen lilac trousers, a light blue shirt, and white sneakers with matching colour stripes. Savoy waited for him at their table and greeted him coolly. The atmosphere was tense. 

“Louis, your invitation was rather sudden,” the duke said, after they had placed their orders.  
“I received some very disturbing news yesterday,” Louis replied.

Savoy crossed his legs underneath the table. “Oh, what kind of news?”  
“My buildings in the La Défense district have been bought up. The mortgages have been paid off and transferred.” 

“And do you know who is meddling in your business affairs?” Savoy asked, feigning innocence. He took a sip of his wine and pretended to be enthralled by Louis’s story.  
“Well, I have called an emergency meeting with my new CFO and she in turn has called in my asset management team and the realtors.”

“Wow, you acted fast. Which is exactly the right thing to do in such circumstances. I might  
have done the same myself. But all that for just a few buildings, Louis?” Savoy played the big brother.

“Yes, for a few buildings, Savoy. They are the buildings that just happen to be in your part of Paris. The most profitable buildings, the ones providing the most tax benefits.”

“That is unfortunate. What do you CFO and the advisors say?” Savoy leaned forward, now truly curious. Louis leaned forward as well, but he had reached the end of his tether. After Savoy’s seemingly innocent questions, he couldn’t keep up the charade any longer. “How do you like your new buildings?” he asked directly, smiling at Savoy’s obvious shock.

The duke was taken aback. He hadn’t expected Louis and his advisors to identify the buyer that quickly, especially after everything he had done to ensure that the transactions were done as secretly and anonymously as possible. After the initial shock had worn off, Savoy answered with a question of his own. “Where is Cluzet?”

The victorious smile on Louis’ face was replaced by surprise. “Cluzet? I don’t understand.”

Now Savoy was getting angry. He slammed his fist on the table, making the dishes rattle and the glasses fall over. He stood up with so much force that his chair toppled over. “Cluzet, my right hand, the CEO of Savoy Inc. He was on his way to you with a message, but then I lost contact with him. Even my people can’t find him any longer. Admit it, you have him.” Without waiting for an answer, he stormed out of the restaurant in a rage.

***************************************************

Athos awoke in a rumpled bed, blinking against the sun shining in through the open window. His hand patted the other side of the bed, but found it empty. He sighed and sat up. Before he had a chance to go looking for his lady of the night, his phone signaled an incoming message. It was from Treville. ""A murder in Fontainebleau, the family asked us to support the police. I’ll text you the address and the police contact"". Athos forwarded the message. 

With a murder, all four of them should be at the crime scene.

He pulled back the covers, got up and collected his clothes, that were haphazardly strewn all across the floor. He quickly washed up in the en suite bathroom, dressed and went downstairs. Jeany stood at the bar in the reception area of the gallery, a bowl of rice and vegetables in front of her.

“I have to go. Will we see each other this evening?” At Athos’ words, Jeany turned around. She looked a little said and he completely understood, but his sense of duty won out over the feeling of guit at having to leave her. He hoped she would understand.

“Yes, call me, I’ll be here all day,” Jeany answered. Athos nodded and gave her a quick kiss goodbye. “The night with you was wonderful,” he whispered against her lips. Then he left the gallery, got into the car and headed towards the crime scene.

At the roundabout where Rue Corot and Rue Pasteur met, his friends were already at work. Porthos was talking with the police, D’Artagnan interviewed potential witnesses and Aramis was busy securing evidence. Aramis hid the dark circles under his eyes behind a pair of sunglasses and joined Aramis.

“What have we got here?” he asked.

Aramis refrained from commenting on his friend’s appearance. “A young man was shot on the street. His name was Felix Lucpar. It happened last night. A hand gun, 9mm; based on the gunshot residue one with a silencer.”

D’Artagnan came over to them. “That matches with what the neighbours have said. None of them heard a shot. Only the milkman found him this morning,” he reported. 

“A quiet neighbourhood,” Athos remarked. 

“Not quite so quiet. There’s a traffic camera. Porthos is just talking to the police about that.”   
Athos nodded. 

Aramis had finished his job and packed up the equipment. Athos and D’Artagnan went through the witness statements, when Porthos joined them. “Okay, we need to act quickly, Marcheaux is blocking our connections,” he said.

“With him, too?” Athos asked. “He’ll give us a head start. I know him from my army days,” Porthos replied. 

“Marcheaux is becoming a nuisance.” D’Artagnan was getting fed up with the situation.   
“We’ll deal with the murder first. It doesn’t do to lose the trust of the people around here. Then we take care of Marcheaux,” Athos said. “We should inform the family, as a matter of decency. Aramis, you come with me, maybe we’ll learn something new. Porthos, D’Artagnan, get the traffic cam tapes and go through them. Maybe our culprit was caught on tape.”

************************************************

Aramis and Athos came back from the family and headed for the guard room, where Porthos and D’Artagnan were already waiting for them. “Did you find something?” Aramis asked.   
“Yes, he really was caught on tape. Did you learn anything new?” D’Artagnan asked. This time Porthos answered. “No, the mother couldn’t stop crying and the father just asked us to find the murderer. He was the one who called it in. It might be important that Felix wanted to contact us today.”

“He did? Why?” D’Artagnan was confused.

“He had heard that we’re hiring and wanted to apply.”

This information put a damper on everyone’s mood. Felix hadn’t been one of them, not yet, but it gave them a connection to the victim. 

“The tape?” Athos’ question brought them out of the somber mood. 

“The murderer was caught on tape. A masked man, with a cap and hoodie covering his face, but they didn’t cover the tattoos.”

Aramis nodded. “Good, print out the tattoo and we’ll ask around at the studios. Maybe someone will recognize the work.” The others started to move, but Porthos stopped them. “We can save the time.”

Athos was surprised. “Did you already check?”

“No, but we know the tattoo. It’s the sign of the Red Guard.”

“Merde!” Athos rarely cursed, but this juicy tidbit just called for it. They had a lot on their plate already and the fiasco with the break-ins was still a sore spot. 

“And now? We can’t just walk in there.” D’Artagnan had a point.

“We’ll just go to the dye factory and ask politely.” It was one of Aramis’ usual jokes, but Athos considered it a good idea. 

“Leave most of your equipment here. Take only a small gun and a concealed knife. We’ll pay them a visit,” he decided.

“Athos, it was a joke! Come on, it won’t work!” But Porthos’ objection was in vain, so they went off to Paris anyway.

The Red Guard was a group of activists, consisting mostly of army reservists and former soldiers. They were mercenaries, for hire to anyone who could pay. If they had no job to do, they caused general mayhem, which was why they weren’t exactly welcome in Fontainebleau. Their long-held grudge against the king and his private fighting force ran deeper than the roots of an ancient tree. The Guard had set up camp in an abandoned dye factory and had converted the buildings into offices, break rooms, barracks and training facilities. Many of the walls were stained red from the dye, hence the name “Red Guard”. 

The four bodyguards cautiously entered the grounds, but they didn’t get very far. About 50 meters from the entrance, they were stopped by a small group of Guard members. 

“Can we help you in any way?”  
Athos stepped forward. “A man, Felix Lucpar, was killed last night. The killer was caught on tape by a traffic camera. The tape clearly shows this tattoo.” Athos held up a print-out showing part of an arm with the tattoo. One of the Guard men spat on the ground beside Athos. “Could be anybody.”

“Yes, but isn’t that tattoo copyrighted? Only your people use it,” Aramis countered calmly.   
“Maybe, but that still leaves you with about 60 subjects.”

Before one of the bodyguards could say anything to that, Marcheaux came out of one of the side buildings. “Messieurs, are you being harassed?” he asked the Guard leader sanctimoniously.

“That depends.”

“On what?” Athos was slowly getting fed up. 

“On whether or not you leave now.”

Before the situation could escalate, a man stepped forward. “You can’t arrest anyone here.”

Porthos turned to the brave man. “Well, we’re just concerned citizens and we’re wondering where you were,” he said, confronting the man directly. He didn’t have a clue, much less actual evidence, but his intuition never failed him. The leader was right, all members of the Red Guard had that tattoo and there were at least forty of them in the inner circle, not counting former members. 

The man suddenly became nervous. The other three bodyguards noticed it as well. 

Marcheaux stepped in. “You don’t have to answer. I’m the only one who is allowed to ask questions here and I know that all of the men have an alibi.”

“So you’ve heard of the murder?” Aramis was curious. 

“Of course I know about Fontainebleau.”

To D’Artagnan, this sounded like a veiled threat. He took a step forward. “I’d stick to Paris if I were you, before you arrest innocent persons again.”

Athos held D’Artagnan back, but now another man stepped forward; Moreau.

“Look who’s talking as if he owns the place. D’Artagnan, Paris is no longer a safe city for the likes of you. This is Guard territory now.”

Before the two men could come to blows, Marcheaux stopped Moreau with a hand on his chest. “Please, we’re all civilized men here. And as for these good citizens, as they call themselves, of course we will help them.” He gave Moreau a penetrating stare and the man relented, slinking to the back of the group of Guard men. Marcheaux turned around and called out a name. “Henry, come forward.”

A young man of around 18 years stepped forward. 

“Henry please tell these gentlemen what you know.”

The young man gave Marcheaux a wide-eyed look.

“Go on, boy, don’t be shy.” The policeman was getting impatient.

“I know who killed Felix.”

D’Artagnan, Athos, Aramis and Porthos looked at him expectantly.


	6. on the run and first clues

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey Ho dear readers. What’s up???? So here is the newest chapter. Tell me in the comments what do you like and also what do you dislike.   
> Here is also a link for   
> [escape route](https://pin.it/nwgv4xzqlvdgyh)

Chapter 6: On the run and first clues

Last time in chapter 5:  
Henry was nervous. He didn’t want to rat on anybody, but his boss had called him forward. Now he stood in front of the four bodyguards, who all looked dangerous in one way or another.

Porthos took a step forward. “What do you know?”

Henry kept his eyes on the ground. Marcheaux turned to leave. “I have done all I can to help you. Good day, Messieurs,” he said. The other Guard members followed him back inside, leaving Henry alone with the king’s men. D’Artagnan tried a different approach. “How about we take a little walk?” He pointed towards the exit and Henry nodded. Aramis and Porthos followed them at a short distance with the cars, as D’Artagnan and Henry leisurely walked along the streets. The farther away they got from the headquarters of the Red Guard, the more Henry relaxed, until at last he suggested stopping for a coffee at the nearest café.

Once they had found a table and each had a cup of coffee in front of him, D’Artagnan was about to repeat Porthos’ question, but Henry beat him to it. “I know who did it, but I’m not a rat. The Red Guard protects no one, but he’s my friend and I want to help him.”

D’Artagnan understood. Loyalty and honour were very important among his own colleagues as well. The boy in front of him had obviously just gotten in with the wrong crowd. Henry continued. “He called me. He regretted the murder immediately. I have no idea why he did it in the first place, he was never someone who could kill. Please help him.”

“We will help him. Where is he now?” D’Artagnan asked.

“He’s in a hospital in Fontainebleau. He’s hurt, but he didn’t want to tell me why.”

“Good, then we’ll just ask him that. And I promise, I’ll try to help him. You can come with us, if you want.”

Henry nodded. D’Artagnan texted his friends and within two minutes the two Volvos were waiting outside the café.

“Henry, go sit in the car, while I bring my colleagues up to speed.”  
Henry wasn’t too fond of the idea, but he trusted D’Artagnan and did what he was told. 

Once the car door had closed behind him, D’Artagnan started speaking. “Henry’s friend called him after the murder. Said something about regretting it. Apparently he’s hurt and in a hospital in Fontainebleau.”

“Which one?” Aramis asked.

“He didn’t say. I wonder why we didn’t find any signs of a fight at the crime scene.”  
“We’ll get to that later. First, we need to find him. There aren’t that many hospitals in Fontainebleau. We’ll call them and ask about any new patients. Let’s start with the two largest ones, the Centre Hospitalier and the Polyclinique de la Forêt,” Athos said. They got into the cars and while Athos and D’Artagnan drove, Porthos and Aramis started calling the hospitals. 

“He’s at the Centre Hospitalier. We’ll meet you there,” Porthos reported on the radio.   
D’Artagnan and Aramis didn’t comment.

An hour later, they arrived at the hospital. Heavy traffic had slowed them down. Aramis and Porthos stayed with the cars, while Henry, D’Artagnan and Athos went inside. Athos went up to the information desk and exchanged a few words with the nurse on duty there, then he came back to the two younger men. “He’s on the second floor. Apparently, he was beaten up.”

“Thomas didn’t say anything about that,” Henry stammered. Athos put a hand on the young man’s shoulder. “We’ll just ask him what happened.”

The three of them went up to the second floor following Athos, who knew the room number. Without knocking, they entered. The room was sparsely furnished with two beds. The first one was unmade and covered with a plastic tarp. On the second one, close to the window, lay a younger man. He had his back turned to the room and seemed to be sleeping. Henry stepped further into the room. “Thomas?”

The patient woke up and turned halfway around to them. “Henry? What are you doing here? And who are they?” At the sight of Athos and D’Artagnan, he became restless and abruptly sat up. “Ah!” he cried out in pain and clutched his side.

“Thomas, what’s wrong?” Henry hurried over to him. “Broken ribs,” Thomas groaned. Slowly, the pain seemed to lessen, and he began to relax slightly. Now D’Artagnan addressed him. 

“Henry told us that you need help.”  
Thomas was confused. Since last night, he didn’t know what to do anymore. He wasn’t familiar with every member of the Red Guard, but he was sure he’d have heard about these two. “Are you with the Guard, too?” he asked. Athos shook his head.

“No, we’re with King Louis’ security team, and we’re here on behalf of a family who asked for our help. Their son was murdered last night in Fontainebleau. Marcheaux said you might know something about that.”

Thomas looked down. Now things started to make sense. He glanced towards the door, but found it blocked by Athos. He had to find a way to get out. The Red Guard had betrayed him and turned him over to the enemy.

“Thomas, what happened?” Henry wanted an answer. 

“I….I forgot about the camera. I had to pay the price for that mistake,” Thomas stammered. 

Athos came closer to the bed. “And who told you that?” he asked.

Suddenly, Thomas jumped up, pushed past Athos and ran towards the door. The element of surprise was clearly on his side and the rush of adrenaline blocked out the pain. Athos and D’Artagnan were so surprised that it took them a few seconds before they could radio Aramis and Porthos. “He’s on the run, coming your way. Stop him!” They ran after the fleeing man.

“Don’t hurt him! He didn’t want any of this to happen!” Henry yelled after them, but they didn’t really hear him as they raced down the stairs. At the bottom, Porthos and Aramis hurried towards them. “He didn’t come this way,” Aramis said.

“Merde! He must have taken the back exit. Porthos and I will follow him in the cars. D’Artagnan, Aramis, you follow him on foot,” Athos ordered. The men split up and Porthos and Athos ran outside to the cars.

Aramis quickly located him and radioed it in. “He’s running towards the Lycee on Rue de la Paroisse.” Porthos immediately headed that way, while Athos tried to cut the man off from the other side. Thomas noticed Porthos and turned left. Now D’Artagnan had eyes on him again. 

Thomas kept changing directions and held up remarkably well considering his injuries. His zig-zagging course enabled him to shake off the pursuing cars again and again. 

“He’s at the Aigle Noir Hotel now,” D’Artagnan’s audibly breathless voice came over the radio.  
“Okay, this isn’t going to work. I’ll come pick you up. Porthos, you pick up Aramis. We’ll corner Thomas with the cars,” Athos decided.

“He’s getting pretty close to the chateau,” D’Artagnan said, once he was back in the car and they were on the way again. Athos shook his head. “The guard teams will stop him. And he seems to be going past the chateau anyway.”

Porthos was on a street parallel to them, so that both cars were herding Thomas towards the D607 now, a broad street that ran along the Forêt de Fontainebleau. Surprisingly, instead of turning into the forest, Thomas kept running straight and turned right at a large crossroads. Only when he realized that his strength was finally running out and the cars were getting closer and closer, he turned into the forest, onto the Route Louis Felippe.

The two SUVs followed him into the forest, although an earlier thunderstorm had turned the road into a muddy, slippery dirt track and it was getting increasingly difficult to keep the cars on the road. 

“Merde!” Athos brought his car to a slithering stop. In front of them, a large tree had fallen across the road. The four men got out and followed Thomas on foot. Athos and Porthos, who were still in better shape, were the first to catch up with him. 

“Stop running, Thomas!” Athos drew his gun and fired into the air, but Thomas didn’t slow down. Athos aimed directly at him and fired again, hitting Thomas in the shoulder. The man collapsed on the muddy ground and did not get up again. Porthos ran over to him, putting pressure on the wound with one hand and keeping Thomas on the ground with the other. 

Aramis and D’Artagnan came up to them. “You shot him?” D’Artagnan was slightly shocked.  
“He would have continued running. And I just wounded him. I didn’t hit any major organs or nerve center’s.”

Aramis knelt beside Thomas and nodded. “He’ll be okay.”  
“Why did you run away in the first place?” Athos asked. By now, Thomas had realized his   
situation and stopped struggling. He started to talk. “Felix was our friend. The three of us joined the Red Guard at the same time. Henry had to, because of this father. I joined voluntarily, because I wanted to look out for Henry. During training, we met Felix.” Thomas swallowed drily. He was visibly in pain now. Aramis gave him something to drink. Thomas was surprised; he hadn’t expected them to be so compassionate. The Red Guard always painted them as the enemy. “Felix felt uncomfortable with the Guard. He hated what they did and how they did it. He wanted to change sides,” he continued.

“Change sides?” Porthos asked. D’Artagnan had fetched the first aid kit from one of the cars and handed it to Aramis. 

“He wanted to come to you. That’s why he was in Fontainebleau.”

The four bodyguards were surprised, but it also made them somewhat proud. “And why did you kill him?” Aramis asked, while he bandaged the wound.

“It was my job. They were threatening my family. If I hadn’t done it, they would have killed them all.”

“Assholes!” Porthos couldn’t help cursing. 

“I had overlooked the camera and when they found out – I have no idea, how – they found me and beat me up. The next morning, I managed to drag myself to the nearest hospital.”

“Good. Porthos, Aramis, take him back to the hospital, where they can take a look at his shoulder. D’Artagnan, we’ll go back to the family,” Athos said.

“And what will happen to me?” Thomas asked. 

“We’ll talk to the police. You killed a man, there’s no going back on that, but I think the judges will take into account that you acted under duress,” D’Artagnan said. 

While Aramis and Porthos took Thomas back to the hospital, Athos and D’Artagnan went on to the unenviable task of informing the family. The mother started crying again, but she and her husband were glad that they could now bury their son and that the murderer would be prosecuted.

**********************************

In the evening, the four men met up in Treville’s office and reported on the case. The events of the day had taken their toll on all of them. “We seem to have more than a few spanners in the works. Is the matter with Thomas cleared up?” Treville asked.

“We set up guards at the hospital. The Red Guard won’t get to him again. He feels guilty and is willing to serve his time,” Aramis explained. 

“I’ll talk to the judge,” Treville said. There was a knock on the door and Durrand came in. “Captain, a young man named Henry wants to talk to you.”

“Good, send him in,” Treville said.  
Henry shyly stepped into the office and hardly dared to look at any of the five men. 

“Well, young man, why are you here?” Treville asked.  
“Sire, I would like to work for the king.”


	7. Chapter 7

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey Ho, on this great Friday I’m posting chapter 7.   
> Here are [Annes Outfit](https://pin.it/3m2zp2l3n3jz2p) and [Constances Outfit](https://pin.it/img327vbxdqvfl)

Chapter 7: Espionage

Last time in chapter 6:  
Henry shyly stepped into the office and hardly dared to look at any of the five men.   
“Well, young man, why are you here?” Treville asked.  
“Sire, I would like to work for the king.”

D’Artagnan and Porthos were surprised at this new development. Aramis didn’t seem to be interested, idly fiddling with his shirt. As usual, Athos kept his expression neutral, making it very hard to know what he was thinking. 

“Would you four please leave us alone?” Treville asked. D’Artagnan and Porthos were the first to get up and move towards the door. As they passed Henry, D’Artagnan clapped him on the shoulder encouragingly. Aramis followed them with a bored expression and winked at Henry. Atos was the last one. He exchanged a final glance with Treville, before he closed the office door behind him. 

“Sit down.” Treville offered Henry a seat. The young man gladly took it; he was very nervous.   
“Now, why do you want to work for the king?” Treville asked.

Henry looked directly at him now, sure of his plan and his decision despite his nervousness. Treville noticed it, too. 

“The Red Guard has ordered one of my best friends to kill my other best friend. Now one of them is dead and the other is going to prison. I can’t stay with the Guard any longer.”

Treville nodded. “I understand. You’re in mourning, and I am sorry for your loss. However, you’re still young, the world’s your oyster. You could go to university or take an apprenticeship somewhere.”

“No, Sire, I can’t. I’ve seen things, you know, working for the Red Guard. And I want them to make up for what they did to my friends.”

“Revenge is a bad advisor, son. We have no use for hotheads. Our first duty is to protect the king, his friends and family.”

Henry nodded, undeterred. Still full of determination, he continued. “It’s not just revenge, Sire. You help people. You protect the people of this town and you help out in Paris. I admire your loyalty to the king and amongst your men. I would like to learn from you and become a part of your team.”

Treville was silent for a few moments, having to weigh his decision very carefully. Henry wasn’t a bad person and that he was sitting here now, applying for a job, said a lot about him. It was very important that Henry wasn’t just out for revenge, but if that were the case, there would have been other ways for the young man. 

“Henry, I understand you.”  
Henry lowered his eyes. That didn’t sound good. 

“We have to be able to trust you. We had a lot of personnel problems lately and we can’t afford any more of those,” Treville explained. 

Henry felt a little hope again. “I’ll prove myself to you,” he said.

“That’s what I had hoped. And I have an important and risky task for you. Prove yourself and you can stay,” Treville said. Henry nodded excitedly.

“We had a lot of defectors to the Red Guard, maybe you noticed that. We want to turn the tables on them now. Do they already know that you’re leaving them?”

Henry shook his head. “No, I told no one, I just left.”  
“That’s good. I need eyes and ears inside hat organization and you could be that for me.”

Henry swallowed hard, not sure if he was up to this task.  
“Don’t worry, we’ll support you,” Treville promised.

**************************************************

Constance sat on her bed in light blue jeans, a white print shirt and a warm, comfortable cardigan, with pink sneakers and matching earrings as the finishing touches. With trembling hands, she opened the envelope one of the servants had given to her a few moments ago. As she had hoped, the envelope contained the documents she had been desperately waiting for. 

She looked through the pages until she came to the last one and saw that the second party involved in the matter had already signed it. Hurriedly, she got up and went to her friend’s rooms. 

Anne was in her bedroom. It looked like she had just finished dressing in a sheath dress with an abstract brown, red and blue floral print and a royal blue blazer. On the bed beside her lay a matching blue clutch. “Good morning, Constance,” she greeted her friend as Constance entered. 

“Anne, I have the documents.”

“The documents?” At first, Anne didn’t understand, then it dawned on her. “And? Did he sign them?” Constance nodded. 

“That’s a good thing, isn’t it?”  
“Theoretically yes, but I’m not sure. They were drawn up by his lawyer,” Constance said.

“Oh, I see. If you want, I can have my lawyers look them over,” Anne offered.  
Constance was glad, since she didn’t really want – or could afford to – get her own lawyer. 

“Thank you, Anne,” she said, putting the documents on the bed for her. “By the way, why are you dressed up like that? Did I forget about an appointment?”

“No, you didn’t. I have a meeting with Louis’ lawyers, but I don’t really need you to be there, so you can have a little time off. And before you say anything, no, you deserve it.”

Constance wanted to object, but how could you be mad at a person like Anne.

********************************************

The women talked for a few moments longer, then Anne went to one of the larger rooms for her meeting with the lawyers. They were already present and Anne apologized for the slight delay. However, the lawyers were accustomed to having to wait far longer for her cousin, so they didn’t mind. Among the four men, Anne recognized Louis’ assistant, Adrian Combelle. 

“Monsieur Combelle, I didn’t know that you would join this meeting.”  
Combelle sketched a short bow. “I have some free time and thought I’d offer my help.”

Not wanting to seem rude, Anne reluctantly accepted. What harm could it do to let him sit in on the meeting….

“Well, Messieurs, let’s start, we have a lot to discuss.”

They all took their places around the large round table set up in the middle of the room. After about an hour they had developed a strategy to contest the acquisition of the buildings in court and to buy up other properties on the market themselves. Anne was satisfied with the results, and after the tasks had been allocated, the meeting broke up.

Adrian Combelle, who had watched the meeting wordlessly, retreated to his office. Once he was sure that he was alone, he reported the new strategy to the duke. As soon as Savoy had read the message from his spy, he wanted to know whose idea it had been and who was taking the lead in this project. Combelle typed a short message in reply, before he powered down his computer and went to Louis.

In his own office, Savoy waited for an answer from Adrian. A few seconds later, one word appeared on the display of his phone. .

************************************************

When D’Artagnan, Porthos, Athos and Aramis had left Treville’s office, they went to the training facility in the basement, taking advantage of the unscheduled downtime to work on their skills. First stop was the shooting range. While Athos and Porthos tried out new small caliber guns, Aramis worked on his sniper skills, and D’Artagnan busied himself cleaning his gun. Next, Aramis, Athos and D’Artagnan engaged in a close combat exercise, with Porthos watching from the sidelines and offering tips for improvement. D’Artagnan had just managed to throw Aramis on the mat, only to be taken down himself by Porthos, when Treville and Henry entered the room. The exercise ended and four more or less disheveled and slightly sweaty men were waiting to hear what Treville had to tell them. 

“I talked with Henry. We’ve come to the conclusion that he needs to prove himself.”  
They had already expected that. After what happened lately, it was difficult to trust anyone new. 

“Henry will be our spy within the Red Guard,” Treville informed them. This was surprising news. D’Artagnan was slightly shocked. “Captain, he’s still very young and has been through a lot, do you think it’s worth the risk?” 

Treville looked straight at him. “I knew you’d say that. That’s why I want you to be his liaison.”   
No easy task for him. D’Artagnan snorted softly. 

“He’s all yours now. I expect a full report by the end of the week,” Treville said, lightly pushing Henry towards his four best men, before he left.

Athos and Aramis went over to where Porthos was sitting on a bench. “Looks like you got your work cut out for you. Next time you’d better not question Treville’s decision,” Porthos advised. D’Artagnan rolled his eyes. Athos took pity on his younger friend.

“It was obvious that you’d be his liaison, your time in the army makes you the best candidate. You were in a recon unit after all, while we were with the infantry, snipers and tank division.”   
D’Artagnan nodded. He had already come to the same conclusion. 

“Recon unit?” Henry looked at D’Artagnan questioningly. Aramis answered for him. “All four of us were in the army and we all had different specialties. Our dear friend here was with a reconnaissance unit. They work deep within enemy territory, scouting out possible targets. 

They were always in danger. To protect themselves, they often pretended to be members of the enemy forces.”

Henry regarded the young man standing before him with different eyes now. D’Artagnan was tall and tanned, but not built as solidly as Porthos. Henry had always regarded him as less dangerous. Now that he saw him in full combat gear, however, he realized just how muscular and strong the man really was. 

Before anyone could say anything else, the door opened. They had expected one of their colleagues, but instead a man in a suit entered. “Messieurs, my apologies, I think I have lost my way.”

As soon as Aramis recognized the man, he jumped up and drew himself up in front of the visitor. His face was livid with anger and it was all he could to not to hit the man on the spot. Porthos and Athos were surprised at their usually calm and collected friend. 

“What the hell are you doing here?” Aramis ground out between clenched teeth. Savoy just   
smiled at him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Also have some picutres from D'artagnans Past for a better imagination  
> [D'artagnan in combat](https://pin.it/qb2xnkr5orf3cg)  
> [D*artagnan in combat 2](https://pin.it/kdriqmdyrtdoh3)


	8. Memories

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey Ho, now there is more Savoy…. Hope everybody will be satisfied. I wanna say thank you to all the kudos and especially to SerenJ.   
> Here is a [Map](https://pin.it/4nu2ggp6fhtogc), marked are the rooms from Anne and the English Garden for a better imagination.

Chapter 8: Memories

Last time in chapter 7:  
Before anyone could say anything else, the door opened. They had expected one of their colleagues, but instead a man in a suit entered. “Messieurs, my apologies, I think I have lost my way.”

As soon as Aramis recognized the man, he jumped up and drew himself up in front of the visitor. His face was livid with anger and it was all he could to not to hit the man on the spot. Porthos and Athos were surprised at their usually calm and collected friend. 

“What the hell are you doing here?” Aramis ground out between clenched teeth. Savoy just smiled at him. 

Savoy didn’t recognize the bodyguard, but he was used to being verbally harassed or even attacked by random people. And he did not fear an attack here, since there would be serious repercussions. And maybe…just maybe…he even wanted to provoke just such a reaction. 

Aramis had clenched his hands into fists. He knew exactly who was standing there in front of him. He desperately wanted to hit the man, maybe even kill him, but that wouldn’t solve anything. It wouldn’t mean absolution or reparation, he would just endanger his position and shame the king as well as his friends and colleagues.

“Monsieur, how very short-tempered of you. I wouldn’t have thought it possible in the bodyguards of the king. I have heard about his little strike force. However, it seems there was a small security breach, which does not exactly showcase their strength,” Savoy said, gleefully rubbing salt into an open wound.

“Deviousness is your specialty,” Aramis growled. Porthos went to stand beside his friend, putting a hand on his shoulder. It was a symbolic gesture, Aramis could easily get out of his grip if he wanted to. “I think we should go,” he said.

Aramis snorted and walked past Savoy, purposely jostling him with his shoulder. Savoy had underestimated the power behind that shove and had to take a step back to compensate for it. Porthos followed Aramis out of the room.

“You lost your way?” Athos asked, trying to deescalate the situation.   
“Yes, I was looking for Louis.”

Athos was skeptical. Louis’ rooms were easy to find and servants were always available to show a guest to the rooms he was looking for. Moreover, the training rooms in the basement were far more difficult to find than Louis’ apartment. “Let me show you the way then.” Athos held open the door for Savoy and let him go first, before he followed him. 

D’Artagnan turned to Henry. “Well, let’s get you fitted out. Come with me.” He led Henry to the equipment storage. They had a lot to go through.

Standing at the bottom of the stairs, because she had been looking for Aramis, Anne had overheard everything. When she saw Aramis and Porthos coming up the stairs, she turned aside into one of the numerous corridors. She hadn’t intended to eavesdrop, it had been pure chance that she had heard the confrontation between Savoy and Aramis. Now she wondered what it had been about and how Aramis knew the duke. 

*********************************************

Aramis and Porthos were back in the guard room. Aramis violently kicked a chair across the room.

Even though he was no longer in the same room with Savoy, he was still filled with rage. 

“Hey, Aramis, what is going on?” Porthos had no idea what had gotten into his friend.

“Leave me alone. I have to get out of here,” Aramis growled. Practically fuming with rage, he stormed out of the room and headed for the English Garden.

************************************************

Constance tried to enjoy her day off, but she couldn’t get the divorce papers she had receive this morning out of her mind. She didn’t really trust her husband and was glad that Anne had offered to help. After the divorce she would finally be free and could openly be together with D’Artagnan. 

Wanting to give him the good news, she left her room to go looking for him, starting with the guard room. On the way there, she encountered one of the security men she remembered from the meeting. “Excuse me, Monsieur?”

The man turned around to her. “Ah, Madame Bonancieux. It’s Durrand, we’ve met at the reorganization briefing.”

“I remember. Do you know where I can find D’Artagnan?”

Durrand thought for a moment. “Last time I saw him, he was with Athos, Porthos and Aramis in the basement. Do you want me to give him a message?”

Constance had to smile. It would be a little strange, if someone else told D’Artagnan that she would soon be divorced and free. “No, thank you. If I may, I would like to find him myself.”

“Of course, Madame. Just don’t be frightened, there’s a shooting range in the basement.”  
“Thank you for warning me, Monsieur Durrant.”

Durrand took a short bow and left. Constance quickly found her way into the basement. Once she had passed the shooting range and a room filled with training equipment, she found D’Artagnan and a younger man in a storage room. High metal shelves in orderly rows held a number of black boxes and large items.

Henry noticed the unknown woman first. “Ehm, D’Artagnan…”

D’Artagnan turned around to Henry and noticed Constance. He wasn’t in a very good mood, because Henry had pestered him with endless questions about what it was like working for the king, what he had had to do in the recon unit and so on. At first, he had found it charming and had been flattered, but after a while it was getting on his nerves. He had just been rummaging around for spy equipment. Among all the weapons, electronic equipment and other odds and ends it was difficult to locate exactly what he was looking for, which wasn’t helping his mood either. Also, he thought that this room – and the basement in general – was no place for a woman.

“Constance, what are you doing here?” he asked, not looking at her, while he kept searching through the boxes. 

Constance found it a little rude. “I wanted to talk to you.”

“And for that you had to come all the way down here?”

“I have something important to tell you and wanted to let you know right away.”

A small item fell off one of the shelves, narrowly missing D’Artagnan’s head. “Merde!” he cursed. “I’m working, Constance, I don’t have time to talk right now!” He all but yelled at her. 

Tears started to pool in Constance’s eyes.

Henry felt very uncomfortable being caught in the middle of this. 

“Fine, have it your way!” Constance yelled back, before she turned around and stormed out of the room. D’Artagnan immediately regretted his outburst, but he had a job to do and couldn’t just drop everything to go after her. Henry had to be fitted out as quickly as possible and he needed to learn how to use the equipment. Moreover, no one knew about the relationship between him and Constance and he couldn’t neglect his job for something that wasn’t supposed to exist in the first place. He just had to hope that Constance wouldn’t be too angry with him and that he’d get a chance to explain later tonight.

*************************************

Anne had gone down into the English Garden. Her window looked directly down into it and she had noticed Aramis sitting on a bench beside a bridge over a small brook. He looked a little calmer than before, but apparently he was still upset from his encounter with the Savoy. 

She sat down beside him.

“I’m afraid I’m not very good company for you today,” Aramis said, keeping his eyes fixed on a bed of roses in front of him. Anne did not look directly at him either. “Everyone has a bad day every now and then. And I am aware that you’re not always the charming person you want the whole world to see.”

This statement made him smile faintly, but only for a moment. 

“I heard what happened,” Anne continued. “I didn’t want to eavesdrop, but I was looking for you.”

Aramis nodded. He’d never accuse Anne of spying on him. For a while they were silent, each lost in their own thoughts. Anne tried again. “What was going on? Do you know Savoy?”

Aramis took a deep breath and leaned back on the bench. “I don’t know him personally, but I know his machinations and how unscrupulous he is.”

Anne leaned against the back of the bench as well, as Aramis began to talk. “I was new in the service of the king. It was a simple job. We were supposed to deliver relief goods to people in need. We were a small group, just ten people and three trucks. The king, Louis, had sent some foodstuffs and other necessary things. Then everything went to hell. You see, at that time I hadn’t met Athos and Porthos yet, let alone D’Artagnan.” He paused for a moment and continued. “We had to spend the night on the road. One of the trucks had broken down and we had been stuck in a long traffic jam, so we decided to go around it on a smaller road. At nightfall, we stopped and camped in a field beside the road.”

Anne started to speak, but Aramis anticipated her question. “We asked permission from the farmer. Maybe he was in on the whole thing. Anyway, we were all asleep. We didn’t think to set up guards. Why should we, it was just some relief goods for the poor. I was fast asleep, but suddenly I noticed that one of my friends, Marsac, was dragging me away, sleeping bag and all. I wanted to resist and ask him what was going on, but he had his hand on my mouth. Only then did I notice what was happening.”

He stopped and let his head fall to his chest. Anne had been listening attentively, now she put a compassionate hand on his arm, wanting desperately to comfort him. When he continued, his voice was brittle. “There were only a handful of men, maybe five or six, but they murdered us in our sleep. Everyone but Marsac and myself. The two of us could do absolutely nothing. 

By the time I was awake and realized what was happening, they had just cut the throat of the last man, a young recruit barely 18 years old.”

His voice broke. Anne soothingly stroked his arm, leaning her head against his shoulder. “I’m so sorry, mon ami.”

Aramis took her hand and gave it a gentle squeeze, before he raised it to his lips for a kiss. “Marsac quit the service that very same day and I never saw him again.”

“And why do you think Savoy had anything to do with it? He is married to Louis’ sister after all,” Anne asked.

“Savoy has always resented Louis, but because of his wife he couldn’t openly show it. We were right at the edge of Savoy territory. And they were wearing Savoy’s insignia. I saw it when one of their coats fell open.”

Now Anne understood, and she was surprised Aramis had managed to remain relatively calm. She had no idea what she would have done in his place. “I will pray for them.”

“Thanks,” Aramis said. He had long ago come to terms with the matter, but the presence of the duke and the insolent way he moved freely about the chateau, had brought it all up again.   
“Can I do something?” Anne asked, feeling helpless. 

“No, thanks, mon amour. It was good to tell you about it, but now I would like to be alone for a while,” he said.

“Of course.” Anne got to her feet. She understood that he needed a little time for himself and if that was all he required from her, she would gladly give it to him. “If you need me, I’ll be in my rooms,” she offered.

“Thanks.” He kissed her hand one last time and then let her go, staying on the bench, alone with his thoughts. 

************************************

An hour later

Constance had been close to tears after her argument with D’Artagnan, but now she was storming along the corridor to Anne’s rooms in anger. How dare he push her away like that? 

They weren’t officially together, they weren’t even unofficially together, but this was certainly no way to treat her!

She just had to tell Anne about it. After a heart-to-heart talk with her friend, things would be looking up again. At least she thought so. When she reached out to knock, she noticed that the door was already ajar. Carefully she pushed it all the way open with her foot to look inside…and was shocked. The whole apartment, as far as she could see it from her position, looked like a hurricane had gone through. In the middle of the anteroom, one of Anne’s brown pumps was lying on the floor, but Anne was nowhere to be seen. Immediately, Constance took out the emergency phone she had been given on the first day at the chateau and dialed the first number.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> At the end, a huge thank you to Lady Neve. I hope the chapter is in your interest. I was inspired by your idea of Savoy and you also wished some interaction between him and Aramis. When you, as a reader, also have wishes, critics or some else, write it in the comment.


	9. Without a trace

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Wow, the tension is rising. I hope you like the crime factor. Tell me in the comments, if you wanna read more of that, or not.

Chapter 9: Without a trace

Last time in chapter 8:

When Constance reached out to knock, she noticed that the door was already ajar. Carefully she pushed it all the way open with her foot to look inside…and was shocked. The whole apartment, as far as she could see it from her position, looked like a hurricane had gone through. In the middle of the anteroom, one of Anne’s brown pumps was lying on the floor, but Anne was nowhere to be seen. Immediately, Constance took out the emergency phone she had been given on the first day at the chateau and dialed the first number.

She didn’t want to accidentally destroy any evidence, so she did not step into the apartment any farther. She only hoped that they would be able to find out quickly what had happened. Footsteps sounded in the corridor and a few seconds later Athos and D’Artagnan came around the corner, looking tense and alert. Constance avoided looking at D’Artagnan. She had not forgotten his earlier reaction. Athos came over to her and looked over the chaos. 

“Constance, what happened?”

Constance knew that they had to act quickly and rationally and did her best to answer. “I wanted to go to her and found the door already open.” 

Immediately, D’Artagnan began checking the door for signs of forced entry. 

“I pushed the door open with my food. I didn’t want to leave fingerprints,” Constance continued. Her voice was cracking and she was talking much too fast. She tried to stay calm,   
but she could feel panic rising inside her. 

Athos tried to calm her This wasn’t and everyday situation for him either, but long years in the service of the king had taught him that panic and chaos didn’t solve anything. “You did the right thing. When exactly did you get here?” he asked. 

Constance looked at her watch. “Maybe five minutes ago, around four o’clock.” 

Athos typed a note into his cellphone, then he looked around. “Did you notice anything in the room? Apart from the general chaos.”

Constance took another look around. “That shoe; Anne was wearing brown pumps this morning. I couldn’t find the second one. And Anne would never leave such a chaos, that’s just not like her.”

Athos took a note of that as well. “Good. Do you know what she had planned for today?”

Constance picked up an iPad from a nearby table. “Everything should be in here. There, she had a meeting with the lawyers, after that she wanted to work on the real estate strategy.”

“Okay, and where does she usually work?”

“She always uses the desk in there,” Constance said, pointing out the room Anne used as an office.

“Good. Constance, you were a big help. We will find her.”

Constance nodded, but Athos’ words couldn’t really reassure her. She didn’t want to be in the way, so she went over to a corner of the room. 

Athos went over to D’Artagnan. “Did you find anything?” he asked. 

“No, I can’t find any obvious signs. I’ll get our kit from the storage,” D’Artagnan answered,   
before he headed for the west wing. 

Porthos arrived from the other direction and saw a completely distraught Constance, D’Artagnan leaving, Athos kneeling on the floor…and a trashed apartment. “Athos?” he asked.

“Porthos, Louis’ cousin has disappeared. Search the chateau, maybe she’s still here somewhere. Take some of the recruits, the ones that haven’t been assigned to a specific position,” Athos fired off orders. Porthos nodded and left again right away. Athos went back to Constance. “Try calling her cell phone. Sometimes the easiest solution is the best.”

Immediately, Constance took her phone out of her pocket and dialed Anne’s number. After the sixth ring, she hung up. “Nothing.”

“Okay, but keep the phone with you just in case.”

Aramis came around the corner towards them. Breathless from the run, he asked, “Athos, what happened? Porthos is rounding up everybody.”

“Anne has disappeared. Did you happen to see her?”  
“Yes, we were sitting together in the English Garden. Sometime this afternoon, maybe half past two, three o’clock.” Despite his sudden fear for Anne, Aramis was experienced enough to know what was important. Most probably, he was the last person to have seen Anne, so he needed to remember everything that had happened. Once again, Athos made a note of the time. “Okay, that helps. Go help Porthos with the search, D’Artagnan and I will take the rooms here.”

Aramis nodded and sprinted off to find Porthos. His thoughts were scattered, but he pushed aside his fear and the anger at his own helplessness and concentrated on doing everything in his power to find Anne as quickly as possible.

Only a few minutes later D’Artagnan was back in Anne’s rooms, carrying two cases. Handing one of them to Athos, he placed the other one on the floor and opened it. The two men began dusting for fingerprints. They also found a couple of hairs. Everything was collected and documented. To Constance it all looked very professional and she wanted to help. “Is there anything I can do?” she asked.

D’Artagnan briefly stopped working. He longed to take her in his arms, forget about their stupid argument and just be there for her, but under the circumstances – his job, her marriage and a thousand other reasons – he couldn’t do that, so he just answered her question. “You could ask the servants if anyone has seen her.”

“Exactly where and when, if possible,” Athos added. Constance nodded, glad to have something to do, since it would distract her and make her feel less helpless.

****************************************************

Approximately half an hour later, Athos and D’Artagnan finished their investigation, packed up the equipment and headed back to the guard room. “We have to send these things to the experts. Maybe we can put a rush on it,” Athos said. They had a pretty good working knowledge of forensics, but they had their limits. For trace evidence like hair, blood, saliva and similar things they worked with a lab near Fontainebleau. 

“I’ll send Durrand. A little something extra should get us the results within five hours,” D’Artagnan suggested.

“You do that.”

Once at the guard room, Athos took the evidence kits back into storage, while D’Artagnan sent Durrand off with the evidence they had collected. Scanning the fingerprints and running them through the official databases was something they could do themselves. Sometimes Louis’ donations to various official institutions came in very handy. The search was just running, when Porthos came into the room with a laptop and took a seat beside D’Artagnan at the table.

“I looked through the video tapes,” he said. Now interested as well, Athos joined them. “Did the search turn up anything?” he asked.

“No, the chateau was searched top to bottom, but we didn’t find anything. Aramis didn't want to give up and is searching the gardens now.”

Athos nodded, he had expected something like this. Aramis was always thorough and Athos could count on his friend to rely on his head, even though he often thought with his heart. “Did you find something on the tapes?”

Porthos powered up the laptop. “It’s more interesting what I didn’t find.” He opened a program. “This is the camera positioned near her door. Here’s Anne entering.” A few moments later the picture turned black. Then the door came into view again and a few seconds later Constance could be seen entering the room. 

“What happened to the recording?”

Porthos closed the laptop again. “The source code shows that a part of it was deleted, but the guards didn’t notice. Thanks to the time stamp, we now have a window of opportunity. The guard change was at 3:50 pm and at 4:03 pm we can see Constance entering the apartment.”

“So we have a time frame of thirteen minutes, which means they had approximately ten minutes time,” Athos calculated.

D’Artagnan looked up from what he was doing. “That’s cutting it a little close, but it should be enough time to get into the apartment, snatch Anne and disappear again with her.”

Porthos looked around at his friends. “Are we sure that someone from outside is responsible for her disappearance?”

Athos nodded. “Yes, we found signs of forced entry, and fingerprints belonging to no one at the chateau. D’Artagnan is just running the prints through the official databases.”

“Then we should inform Treville,” Porthos said. Athos got up. It was his job to take care of that. “Keep me updated,” he said, before he left for Treville’s office.

As he reached the office, he knocked and went in. Treville looked up from the papers on his desk. “Athos, what is going on? I keep hearing people running along the corridors.”

Athos stood in front of the desk. “Anne has disappeared. We were unable to find her anywhere within the chateau. Aramis and a few others are searching the gardens now, but there’s little hope.”

That came as a shock. Treville rose to his feet and leaned on the desk.

Athos continued. “Constance called it in. We found fingerprints as well as a couple of hairs and fibres. They’re already on the way to the lab.”

“Good. Any idea when it happened?”

“Between 3:50 and 4:03 pm. We know that so precisely because the cameras were off during the guard change. We don’t know why yet. So we have a ten minute window.”

Treville scrubbed a hand across his face. “Okay. It’s not much, but it’s a start. We have to act quickly. Have Aramis continue to search the gardens. We’ll put the chateau on lockdown, nobody in or out. I’ll raise the silent alarm. You, D’Artagnan, Aramis and Porthos will be the only ones allowed to move freely.”

This was standard procedure in such cases. Athos nodded.

“Please inform the guard posts. I’ll inform the king, while we wait for the lab results.”

Athos felt sorry for him. Informing Louis would not be an easy task. The two men left the office together.

***********************************************

“Treville, I heard we have a curfew. Tell me that this is a joke.” Louis was furious. He was sitting on his bed, only half dressed. Apparently, he had just taken a “little nap” with a blonde woman who disappeared town the back stairs. Treville stood at a respectful distance in front of him.

“No, Sire, it’s not a joke. I’m afraid I have to tell you that your cousin has disappeared.”  
“What do you mean, ‘disappeared’?” Louis barged in, before Treville could continue.

“She’s nowhere to be found in the chateau or the grounds and she doesn’t answer her phone either. We have called in every man and we’re leaving no stone unturned looking for her. We have a few leads and we’re following them. I’ll let you know immediately, if I learn anything new.”

Louis was a picture of abject misery. Treville felt sorry for him. Louis was a brilliant businessman, but he was only as good as his advisors and employees. Treville couldn’t sit beside him and console him, his abilities were needed elsewhere. He took a small bow and left. 

Louis called after him. “Find her, Treville. That’s an order!”  
Treville posted two guards in front of the doors to Louis’ rooms. It was bad enough that one member of the king’s family had disappeared on his watch, he wanted to take no chances with the other. 

**************************************************

Constance had spoken with everyone of Louis’ servants still at the chateau. She had even asked the horsemaster, even though the stables were far away from the gardens, but she had learned nothing. No one had been in the apartments of the queen or had seen Anne. 

She had reported it to Porthos, who had been the only one in the guard room. Then she had returned to her room. She didn’t know what to do with herself and was getting desperate. 

Again and again she tried to reach Anne on the phone, but no one picked up. Now she sat on her bed, looking through the photos the two of them had taken during their sightseeing tour through Fontainebleau. 

D’Artagnan came into the room and wordlessly sat down beside her. It pained him to see her like this. He put his arm around her and pulled her gently against his chest. 

That would have been the moment for Constance to push him away, but she just didn’t want to be alone right now. Snuggling against him, she gave in to the tears. Neither of them said anything, their earlier argument was completely forgotten. The only important thing now was finding Anne as quickly as possible.

D’Artagnan had no idea how long they had been sitting there like this, but suddenly his cell phone vibrated. A call from Treville, so he had to take it. “D’Artagnan,” he said, then listened attentively to the voice on the other end of the line. “Understood. I’m on my way.” He ended the call and turned to Constance. “Sorry, but I have to go. Treville wants us to check on the Red Guard. Since they haven’t exactly been our friends lately, they’re considered a prime suspect.”

Constance wiped her eyes with the back of her hand. “I understand. Go, find her. Please!” she pleaded, reluctantly pushing him away. D’Artagnan placed a gentle kiss on her head, before he stood up and headed back to the guard room. Due to the lockdown there was no shortage of security men, so he didn’t need to worry about her safety.

*****************************************************

The guard room was pretty much packed with people, but D’Artagnan was looking for one specific person. He found Henry tucked away in a corner, slightly terrified by all the muscular, dangerous looking men around him. “Come on, Henry, we have a job to do,” he told the young man. Henry looked at him expectantly and followed him into a quieter, more secluded room. 

“Treville contacted me. As you may have noticed, one of our principals is missing; Anne, the king’s cousin,” D’Artagnan explained. Henry nodded wildly. He might be small and scruffy, not very strong and often shy, but gathering information, *that* he was good at. Which was exactly what Treville and D’Artagnan were hoping for.

“We think the Red Guard might somehow be involved,” D’Artagnan continued. “You need to go back and keep your ears open. Find out if they have anything to do with it, or – even more importantly – where she could be.”

Henry nodded. He knew that the task could be dangerous, but he also knew that it was a perfect opportunity to prove himself. “I’ll do it. I want to help. What do I need to do?” he asked in a firm voice. D’Artagnan was proud of their newest recruit. 

“Come with me, I’ll fill you in on the details on the way to the garage.”

*********************************************************

By now it was almost midnight. With the lockdown in effect, sleeping arrangements needed to be made. D’Artagnan was off on a special assignment. Athos and Porthos coordinated the search from the guard room. Aramis, who had been searching the gardens, now sat alone in the dark surveillance room. He couldn’t just sit around and wait while Anne was in danger, he needed to do something. Over and over again he went through the surveillance tapes, hoping to find anything.

Setting the time code for 4 pm, he even checked the walled-up tunnel entrances, but didn’t find anything there either. Once he had checked every camera inside the chateau, he turned to the outside ones, starting with the English Garden. He watched himself sitting on the bench a few hours ago. A short time later, Anne showed up. If only I hadn’t sent her away, he thought, angry with himself. 

Suddenly he noticed a black shadow at the farthest edge of the English Garden. He switched to a closer camera, but the face of the figure never appeared completely. All he had were a few frames showing a side view of the face. And the setting sun made it even more difficult to recognize anything, or anyone. He opened an image processing program and ran the recording through it. Maybe that would yield the clue he had hoped for. He could barely wait the few moments the program needed. Finally the file was ready. He opened it.


	10. Desperate search

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey Ho, on this sunny Sunday I’m just updating chapter 10. They are still looking for Anne, where will she be? For better imagination I’m posting several maps :  
> [Foret Map](https://pin.it/jp6ievjh4imo2q)  
> [Évry Map](https://pin.it/w5daq73tsy6764)  
> Also I wanna say thank you to Snowchic47 for the kudo.

Chapter 10: Desperate search

Last time in chapter 9: Suddenly Aramis noticed a black shadow at the farthest edge of the English Garden. He switched to a closer camera, but the face of the figure never appeared completely. All he had were a few frames showing a side view of the face. And the setting sun made it even more difficult to recognize anything, or anyone. He opened an image processing program and ran the recording through it. Maybe that would yield the clue he had hoped for. He could barely wait the few moments the program needed. Finally the file was ready. He opened it. 

Now that he was able to freeze the three-minute video sequence and zoom in, the shadow turned out to belong to three black-clad figures – men, based on their height, build and movements. He started the video again and noticed that the man on the right appeared to be carrying something over his shoulder. It was hard to make out, but Aramis was certain that it had to be Anne. Why else would they be sneaking through the garden, dressed in black and carrying something apparently heavy. Moreover, Aramis was absolutely certain that Anne was no longer at the chateau. He had searched every nook and cranny inside the chateau and in the gardens. No stone had been left unturned. So this burden, even though it was hardly recognizable as a human being, had to be Anne. 

Finally, Aramis got lucky. In one of the last frames of the video, the man on the left turned around, so that Aramis could see his face. Immediately he paused the video again and zoomed in on the face. “That should work,” he murmured to himself. He copied the face and entered it into a facial recognition program. As with the fingerprints, the software was connected to official databases. After a few minutes, which felt like an eternity to Aramis, a message appeared on the monitor. Match found.

Immediately, he clicked on the result and a personnel file opened. He sent the file to the server, closed the laptop and hurried out of the surveillance room, heading straight for the guard room. Only a few of his colleagues were still there, cleaning their equipment or talking quietly together in a corner. The others had apparently gone to bed or were on duty. Porthos and Athos sat at the large, round table in the middle of the room, surrounded by file folders, laptops and papers. Aramis went over to them and unceremoniously dropped his laptop on the table between them, not caring that it ended up half on top of the other two notebooks, disturbing his colleagues. “Aramis, what are you doing?” Porthos complained.

“I found something,” Aramis said. Now Athos took notice as well. Aramis showed them the personnel file. “On the tape from the English Garden I found three hidden figures. One was carrying something over his shoulder, very hard to make out. One of them got his face caught on camera. Facial recognition identified him as one Antoine Masqué.”

Athos and Porthos needed a few moments to process those news. “I went through all of the tapes.” Porthos couldn’t believe that he had missed something like that. In the current situation they all had to give 100%, if not more. 

Aramis didn’t want to show him up. “I just went through absolutely everything. This is from a camera that is almost never checked, let alone updated, since it only monitors a very small area at the outer edge of the English Garden. With the electric fence, normally no one would go there.” That managed to improve Porthos’ mood again. 

Athos took a closer look at the personnel sheet. “I think we should visit that Masqué guy. It says here that he lives in Évry. Porthos, are you coming?” Porthos nodded and stood up. Here was his chance to make up for his lapse with the tapes. Aramis was already at the weapons locker, getting his equipment. 

“Aramis, you stay here.” Athos stopped him, as he got up as well and headed for the door.   
“Hey, I found the lead and I’m not going to just sit around here!” Aramis’ voice grew louder. He desperately wanted to be there when they found Anne. Without him, the two would still be groping around in the dark.

Athos went back to Aramis, signaling to Porthos to go ahead without him. “Aramis, I’m not sure if it’s your heart or your head making the decisions right now, and we can’t risk finding out the hard way. Moreover, Treville will be relieved if at least one of is remains at the chateau. D’Artagnan won’t be here, he’ll stay in Paris overnight. If you come with us, Treville would be the only team leader left here.”

Aramis still felt unfairly treated, but on the other hand he understood Athos’ arguments. “Okay, but if you find anything, let me know. Maybe I can support you from this end,” he reluctantly agreed. Athos nodded and rested a compassionate hand on his friend’s shoulder for a moment, before he followed Porthos to the garage.

*****************************************************

D’Artagnan had dropped Henry off near the Metro station and was now parked two streets away from the Red Guard headquarters. A commlink connected him to Henry. Hopefully no one would think to search the young man. 

Henry had to go only three stops and was now only a few meters away from the dye factory. He had a sinking feeling in his stomach. The closer he got to the entrance gate, the slower his footsteps became. However, D’Artagnan and the others were counting on him and that gave him the courage to go on. As usual, there were guards at the gate. They scanned his card and let him through. It was already pretty late, most of the Guard members were probably at home or in one of the bars all over Paris. The mess hall would be the logical for whoever was still here. 

The room was occupied by a couple of senior members and a few recruits, sitting at the tables, drinking beer. After too many brawls had broken out, hard alcohol was forbidden on the premises. Henry joined a group of newbies and pored himself a glass of beer. “Hello.”  
The others greeted him. “Henry, where have you been? Marcheaux has been looking for you.” 

That couldn’t be good. Henry took a big gulp of his beer. “I was with the family. A few personal problems,” he said, trying not to arouse suspicion. The others nodded, apparently believing his excuse. 

“Good to have you back. There’s a lot to do, but the old vultures have snatched up the juiciest tasks”, one of them said. 

Henry became interested. “Oh, what needs to be done?” D’Artagnan, listen in on everything from the car, perked up his ears as well. One of the men started to list the tasks. “The jeweler outside of paris needs to be robbed. He didn’t pay the rent.” At the word ‘rent’ he winked and Henry knew that in reality they were talking about protection money. “Then someone needs to beat up the butcher in the Rue de Gais, again. How I hate that job,” another man continued “And then the rent has to be collected in the whole eastern sector. That’s why only a handful of us are here right now. That’s going to take a while. Even we are only still here because of the Gais job.”

Henry nodded. So far, nothing out of the ordinary. 

D’Artagnan was disappointed in the result so far as well and was just about to recall Henry. The young man didn’t need to run into Marcheaux. Suddenly he could hear the scraping of chairs and a dark voice close to Henry said, “You can thank Bertrand. He blew it.”

“What do you mean, he blew it?” Henry asked.

The owner of the dark voice had apparently sat down beside Henry. “Bertrand has screwed up with some big shot. A bishop or a baron, I don’t know, they’re all the same riff-raff. Anyway, the big shot had a lucrative offer.”

Henry was dying to know more, but he didn’t dare ask. Luckily, one of the other newbies did it for him. “What kind of offer? A murder?” The eyes of the other men began to shine. Henry couldn’t understand how someone so young could be so eager to kill. He would never be able to kill someone, of that he was certain. 

“No, you fool. You know we’re not talking about murder,” the older man with the dark voice scolded. “No, the job was to kidnap someone from Fontainebleau.”

A murmur rippled through the group. Fontainebleau meant the chateau, so the king or someone close to him. That was really a lucrative job. Before Henry could learn anything else, Moreau appeared. “What are you talking about? They’re newbies, lowest rung, flunkies. And what are *you* doing here?” Moreau looked at Henry suspiciously.

“Just checking in for my new assignment,” Henry answered. 

“Get out of there,” D’Artagnan whispered in his ear via the commlink. 

“Well, I have to get my stuff for the job. I’ll be going then,” Henry stammered. Cautiously, he squeezed past Moreau, who let him go and took a seat with the other men. Henry walked out of the mess hall and headed towards the barracks. Once he was sure that no one was   
following or watching him, he changed direction and hurried to the gate instead. This time the guard there was too distracted by a beautiful woman to notice Henry leaving. On the way to D’Artagnan’s car, Henry’s heart was still hammering wildly. When he got into the car, D’Artagnan was on the phone. 

“Yes, Athos, they had an offer for an abduction from Fontainebleau, but apparently they didn’t get the job,” he said. Then he fell silent, listening to the voice on the other end of the line. “Okay, understood. See you.” D’Artagnan ended the call and turned to Henry. “That was good work. You already helped us.”

The young man was happy at the praise, but the next words put a damper on his good mood. “You’d better stay in Paris tonight and take care of that job with your friends. For your safety we don’t want them to become suspicious.”

Henry nodded and opened the car door again. D’Artagnan noticed that the young man was starting to panic. “Don’t worry, I’ll stay close,” he promised. Somewhat reassured, Henry got out of the car. He was just past the intersection when he saw his friends coming out of the gate. “Henry, where have you been, man?”

***************************************************

The sun was just rising over the horizon, when Porthos and Athos were on their way to Masqué. Évry was a small town south of Paris and a little north of Fontainebleau. A lot of newcomers were changing the face of the town. Their suspect lived in the southwest, near the E15. The two men parked near the house and waited for the appropriate time to visit. They couldn’t very well show up at half past six in the morning. In Fontainebleau maybe, but here in Évry several small gangs had their territories and it was better not to mess with them. 

Around nine o’clock they got out of the car and walked up to the door. After they had rung the bell for the second time, a blonde woman opened. She was shabbily dressed, her hair uncombed, and a bathrobe covered her pajamas. Apparently she had still been asleep. 

“Madame, please excuse the disturbance. We would like to speak to Antoine Masqué.” Porthos tried to be as polite as possible, but they were on the clock. With an abduction, the first 24 hours were crucial. The woman in front of them yawned and scratched her head. This is going to be fun, Athos thought. “Madame? Antoine Masqué?” he tried again.

“What do you want with my fiancé?” the woman asked snappishly. 

Porthos quickly came up with a ruse. “City council. We have some personal and very urgent questions, that’s why we came by in person.”

“Well, you’re out of luck, he has the early shift today.”

That was not good news, although the man could just have used that as an excuse to his girlfriend. The early shift made for a good alibi. 

“Is your fiancé working for the Red Guard? You know, these security guys in Paris?” Athos asked. 

The woman shook her head. “No, no one around here is working for them.”

That was good news for a change. “And do you or he happened to know the king?”

The woman gave him a confused look. “The king? What king?”

“Monsieur Louis of Fontainebleau. Millionaire, benefactor, real-estate mogul.” Porthos threw a few descriptions into the discussion. Sometimes he liked to brag with the social status of his boss.

The woman rolled her eyes. “No, we don’t hold with the likes of him. You can see what it’s like around here.”

She was right about that. It wasn’t exactly a nice part of town. The garbage apparently hadn’t been picked up in months, and the police didn’t dare enter some of the blocks anymore either. The gangs had the town firmly in their grip and were making the most of it.

“Does your fiancé have financial trouble or why are you living here?” Athos asked. He didn’t want to insult her based on where she lived, but financial problems stemming from gambling or stock market speculation often led honest men into committing crimes. 

The woman seemed to find the question impertinent and refused to answer. However, sometimes silence was answer enough.

Athos tried one last question. “Does your fiancé have any other property? Or a place he goes to frequently?” 

Apparently this question was deemed harmless enough for the woman to answer. “He’s often in the Fôret de Senart.”

Porthos nodded. He knew the forest, he had played there often as a child. They thanked the woman, apologized again for the disturbance and went back to the car. Athos fetched the laptop from the backseat and entered the information. A few seconds later, a map of the forest area opened on the screen. The satellite picture showed a lot of dense foliage and in between a few huts in more or less dilapidated condition. “A lot of possibilities,” Athos remarked. Porthos nodded. “The infrared drone could help us. D’Artagnan should have it in the car, together with all the equipment for Henry’s spy mission.” 

Athos nodded, already dialing his younger friend’s number.

“D’Artagnan, leave your position. It’s your choice if you want to pull off Henry or not, but we need the drone.” Athos was never a man of many words.

“Athos, that’s not possible. Henry can’t get away and I can’t leave him alone. What do you need the drone for?”

Porthos provided a little more information. “We just met the fiancée of one of the kidnappers, who was stupid enough to get his face caught on camera. He wasn’t at home, but she said that he’s often at the Fôret de Senart. The area is too big for just the two of us to search on foot, so we have to narrow it down.”

Now D’Artagnan understood. “Okay, I’ll be with you in an hour.” The call ended and Athos and Porthos headed to the Fôret to start scouting around in the hopes of finding a few clues even without the drone.

Meanwhile, D’Artagnan told Henry to find an excuse to get away early. He didn’t want to leave the young man behind, but he had to take the drone to the Fôret.

*****************************************************

Constance was on her way to the guard room. She had to find one of the four bodyguards and that was the most likely place. If she didn’t find anyone there, she’d have to go to Captain Treville. Luckily, in the guard room she found Aramis sitting dejectedly on a sofa, a rifle in his hands. “Aramis, I’m glad I found you.” 

He looked up, hoping to see Anne standing before him. His hearing was playing tricks on him now. 

“Constance, what can I do for you?” He felt powerless and beside himself with worry, but he hadn’t lost his charm.

“I keep trying to call Anne, but of course she’s not picking up,” Constance said.  
Aramis nodded; he already knew that.

“I tried looking for her phone, but I couldn’t find it. I mean, it’s just a small chance, but if she has her phone with her….”

“….then we can locate it!” Aramis finished her sentence. With newfound confidence he got up and went over to one of the computers. It took only a few practiced keystrokes for a map to appear on the monitor, showing a large number of blue circles. “We’ll have the location in a few seconds. I hope her battery isn’t dead yet.”

Constance kept her fingers crossed and prayed for their plan to work.

A small beep put an end to their waiting. Their prayers had been answered; the location of Anne’s phone was displayed on the monitor. “So, where is it?” Constance asked. Aramis made a note of the coordinates, grabbed his jacket from the chair and headed for the garage. Constance followed him. 

On the way to the cars Aramis asked, “Would it work, if I said it’s too dangerous and you had better wait here?”

Constance shook her head. “No, no chance, I’m coming with you. I promise I will do everything you say, when we get there, but Anne may need me and four eyes are better than two anyway.”

There was no arguing with a woman like that. Aramis and Constance quickly got into one of the Volvos, - the right kind of car for the muddy roads in the forest - , and headed for the coordinates of Anne’s phone. As Aramis turned from the chateau’s driveway onto the road, he called Athos. 

“Athos, we managed to locate Anne’s phone. It’s somewhere in the Fôret de Senart.”


	11. Hidden in the forest

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sooo, will they find Anne? Will they save her? Or is the danger with them? All this question. I hope, this chapter will give you a little hint.  
> [forest mood](https://pin.it/nxjnug32g7xzl7)[parking spot](https://pin.it/grbjbhaj6otdkn) [Map of cabin](https://pin.it/gk2sdivomcawls) [Map of forext with marked cabin](https://pin.it/4zhzvnw2ombzha)

Last time in chapter 10:

Aramis and Constance quickly got into one of the Volvos, - the right kind of car for the muddy roads in the forest - , and headed for the coordinates of Anne’s phone. As Aramis turned from the chateau’s driveway onto the road, he called Athos.  
“Athos, we managed to locate Anne’s phone. It’s somewhere in the Fôret de Senart.”

*************************************************

In the car, Porthos and Athos were on the phone with Aramis, but the connection was very bad. All they could hear was squawking noises and a few distorted words. “Aramis, please repeat, you keep breaking up,” Athos said. No answer. “We must be in a dead spot. Happens all the time around here. Too many oak trees…” Porthos grumbled.

Athos gave up and ended the call, just as they had reached a parking lot. “Okay, what can you tell me about the area? You’ve been here before?” he asked. Porthos shut off the car engine and nodded. “Yes, I used to be here a lot as a child. We played cops and robbers here. This is the southern part of the forest.” As they got out of the car, he continued his explanation. “This is the parking lot of the Faisanderie. In the past, a king used to hunt here and keep pheasants. Pastimes of the rich and beautiful, you know…”

“That hasn’t changed much,” Athos remarked.

“I’ll take a look around. D’Artagnan should be here any minute,” Porthos decided and went off. Athos stayed with the car, so D’Artagnan wouldn’t have to search for them. Fifteen minutes later, Porthos came back. In the meantime, Athos had put the laptop on the hood of the car and opened an offline map of the forest, trying to memorize the roads and possible hiding places, as he had learned during his army training. 

“So, did you find anything?” he asked.  
“No, just tire tracks fifty metres west of here, but they’re from multiple cars; jeeps, sports cars, limousines, you name it.”

Athos looked around. “We passed a golf course on the way, and all the roads and hiking trails make the forest an ideal place for hikers or people wanting a stroll through the woods. Those cars could belong to anybody.”

Porthos nodded. The tracks wouldn’t help them find the kidnappers. He glanced at the map, just as another car arrived. They quickly recognized it as one from the chateau’s pool. It stopped beside their own car and D’Artagnan and Henry got out. At the sight of Henry, Athos threw a stern look at D’Artagnan, who simply shrugged. 

“What, you said you needed the drone asap, yesterday if possible. Going back to Fontainebleau first would have taken too long. We had to drive around the whole forest to get here as it is,” the young man defended his decision. Henry wasn’t used to someone talking to a higher-ranking man this way and admired D’Artagnan all the more for it.

Always practical, Porthos turned to their newest member. “You can learn something here, so be quiet and pay attention. Your task is to guard the cars. Keep one of the motors running, we might have to follow someone quickly. Understood?”

Determined to take his task very seriously, Henry just nodded. He placed himself right in the middle between the two cars, legs apart, hands behind his back, eyes straight ahead. Porthos and D’Artagnan grinned.

“D’Artagnan, get the drone.”

The young man took the drone from the car and got it ready, while Porthos described the terrain in more detail. “As I said, we’re in the southern part of the forest. To the left of us is a golf course, but they shouldn’t get in our way. It would be a bad idea to try and hide someone there.” He pointed at the map on the laptop. “As you can see, there are only straight paths and star-shaped intersections. Lots of possibilities.” 

The others looked at the map. “We should start with a smaller search radius and extend it as necessary,” D’Artagnan suggested.” 

“Good idea. Let’s start with one kilometer,” Athos decided. The drone was a military prototype, approximately fifty centimetres in diameter, offering a wide variety of technical functions, controlled and adjusted with a large tablet. Their excellent contacts made it easy for them to get their hands on equipment like this. For their purposes, the infrared camera and the built-in night vision function would come in handy. D’Artagnan set the search radius to one kilometer and sent the drone off. 

From where he stood a short distance away, Henry watched in awe. He had never seen a device like this up close, much less in action. When the first search didn’t turn up anything, D’Artagnan widened it to two kilometers, then three. Every sweep took around ten minutes. At three kilometers, the drone covered the golf course as well. Suddenly, the tablet pinged. 

Porthos, sprawled out on the hood of the car, raised his head. Had they found something? D’Artagnan waved him off. “Just the golf course. Seems to be busy today.” 

Athos nodded. “We should use the silencers. We don’t want to attract undue attention.” Porthos went to the trunk of the car and readied their weapons.

D’Artagnan stared the next sweep with a four-kilometer radius. This was getting tiresome. He couldn’t keep staring at the tablet screen for much longer. He was just about to ask one of the others to spell him, when the tablet signaled another hit. Five heat signatures. D’Artagnan quickly waved the others over. “We have something. At a lake approximately four kilometers from here.”

Porthos took the tablet from him and compared the image with the map. “Yes, there’s the lake.” Aramis marked the spot and sent the map to their phones. “Go to normal camera mode,” he told Porthos. The changed view showed a hut. “wo outside, three inside the hut. One seems to be smaller, that could be Anne.” It was just an assumption, but they had to follow up on it. Porthos handed the tablet back to D’Artagnan and fetched their guns. D’Artagnan recalled the drone and landed it in front of the cars.

“Henry, pack up the drone. We have to go. Stay alert, but be careful. Better to err on the side of caution,” he told the young man, before taking the gun Porthos held out to him. “We’ll walk, the cars would be too noticeable.” That made sense. “How much time will we need?” Athos asked. 

“Walking speed, approximately 45 minutes. At a run, maybe 20,” Porthos answered.  
“Good. We know what we have to do then,” Athos said and started to move. They weren’t flat out running, but moving at a fast jog. From their army days, they were all used to cover long distances with heavy field packs, so this was easy. 

************************************************

“Why can’t we hear anything?” Constance asked. She and Aramis were on their way to the coordinates of Anne’s cellphone.

“They’re probably in a dead spot,” Aramis said. He was typing frantically on his phone, but couldn’t get a connection to the others. Finally, he gave up and concentrated on following the GPS system. The two of them stayed silent for the rest of the drive, each lost in their own thoughts. Aramis was worried, but glad that he was finally doing something to help Anne. 

Sitting on the sidelines had never been his strong point.  
Constance was afraid for Anne. In Madrid, things like that had never happened to them, even though Anne’s family was very influential there. She just hoped that everything would turn out alright. 

After an hour, Aramis slowed down. Constance roused from her thoughts and looked around. They were on a forest road. Before she could ask, Aramis spoke. “We’re in the Fôret de Senart. I’ll leave the car here. Our destination is roughly ten minutes south of here, but with the car we’re at a disadvantage in the forest.” Constance just nodded, she trusted him absolutely in this matter. Aramis parked the car off the road, where a couple of trees shielded it from immediate view. He turned off the engine and turned to Constance. 

“I have to ask you to stay here.” Before she could start to argue, he raised his hand. “Yes, I know, you want to come with me, but the risk is just too great. Our job is to protect the both of you and if you come with me, I can’t concentrate on saving Anne.”

Constance understood the dilemma and nodded. “Okay, but if you find her and there’s no danger, let me know immediately and I’ll come.”

Aramis was okay with that. “With all those trees, radios aren’t a good option, but here’s a geoscanner. It shows the area around you, so that you know exactly where you are.” He handed her a small device that looked a little like a Nokia phone, then he got out of the car and went to the trunk. Constance was tense and nervous. She desperately wanted to go with Aramis, but she knew that that might put Anne in even greater danger. So she would reluctantly sty behind where she was safe.

Aramis took a handgun, a couple of extra magazines and a sniper rifle out of the trunk. The terrain wasn’t ideal for a sniper rifle, but it was what he did best and since he was alone, he needed to play to his strengths. He started jogging south, relying on his own scanner for directions. A short time later, he reached a lake. He took cover and lay on the ground to set up the rifle. Through the scope he could see a wooden hut on the other side of the lake and in front of the hut, two burly men in nondescript clothing. He checked the scanner again. The coordinates pointed straight to the hut, so that was where Anne had to be. Which explained the presence of two guards.

He got to his feet again, shouldered the rifle and started to walk around the lake to get closer to the hut. He had almost reached it, when something moved behind him. He stopped immediately. Leaves were rustling and he clearly heard footsteps coming through the underbrush. In a flash he drew is gun and turned around.

************************************************

Porthos was on point, D’Artagnan behind him and Athos brought up the rear. The closer they got to the hut, the less noise they tried to make. When they could see the hut through the trees, they slowed down even further. Suddenly, Porthos stepped on a dead branch. A second later, a man in full combat gear, half hidden behind a bush, whipped around and trained a gun on them.

***************************************************

“Porthos, man, I almost killed you!” Aramis cursed, keeping his voice low. 

“As if you could…” Porthos replied equally low. Now that there was no immediate danger, Aramis holstered his gun and stepped closer to the others, so that they could talk more easily.

“What are you doing here? You were calling us a short time ago. Did something happen at the chateau?” Porthos asked, surprised to see his friend. 

“No, everything is okay. We managed to locate Anne’s phone and the coordinates let straight  
to this hut. I just got here and was looking around.”

Porthos nodded. He knew that his friend couldn’t stand sitting around the chateau, doing nothing, for too long. Athos was not surprised at the disobedience either. 

“Who is ‘we’? Is Treville here, too?” D’Artagnan asked, looking around.  
Aramis shook his head. “No, Constance had the ide to locate the phone and insisted on coming.”

“And you just let her!?” D’Artagnan had to be very careful not to let his voice get too loud.  
“Have you ever tried denying that woman anything? Believe me, it’s not that easy. However, she’s waiting in the car about ten minutes north of here, perfectly safe,” Aramis reassured him. D’Artagnan wasn’t completely sure about that, but he understood the situation Aramis had been in. He knew how persuasive and stubborn Constance could be. 

“Well, it looks like our dear Aramis wanted to save the princess from the dragon all on his  
own,” Porthos teased him. Athos simply rolled his eyes, although he suspected that Porthos’s description wasn’t too far off the mark. They turned their concentration back to the situation at hand. Kneeling down to avoid being spotted, they discussed the facts. 

“I saw two men outside the door, that’s all,” Aramis reported.  
“Okay, the IR drone found three persons inside. One of them has to be Anne,” Porthos said.  
“Porthos, D’Artagnan, you two take the outside guards. Aramis, you’re on overwatch,” Athos decided, glancing at the sniper rifle Aramis had still slung over his shoulder. The men nodded. More details were not necessary, they functioned like a well-oiled machine, everyone knew exactly what he had to do. Aramis selected a suitable spot close to the front of the hut and lay on the ground, hidden by the foliage. Athos acted as backup. 

D’Artagnan and Porthos crept up to the two guards and took them out quickly and silently, then they positioned themselves on each side of the front door. Athos went around to the back, looking for a window. He found it and positioned himself to one side of it. Ten seconds later, Porthos and D’Artagnan stormed through the door, weapons drawn. Athos crashed through the window, diving into a roll and drawing his gun in one fluent move.

Porthos and D’Artagnan quickly shot the two guards standing beside their bound captive, while Athos provided cover. Once the kidnappers were dead on the floor, the men holstered their guns. Athos got to his feet and Porthos went over to Anne.  
Suddenly, they hear the unmistakable sound of a gunshot from outside.


	12. Safety

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> After this big Cliffhanger here is the next chapter. I hope you will like it like the one before.   
> [Annes Outfit](https://pin.it/mhln43a2hplkfi)

Chapter 12: Safety

Last time in chapter 11:  
Porthos and D’Artagnan quickly shot the two guards standing beside their bound captive, while Athos provided cover. Once the kidnappers were dead on the floor, the men holstered their guns. Athos got to his feet and Porthos went over to Anne. 

Suddenly, they hear the unmistakable sound of a gunshot from outside.  
The men whipped around. Porthos had placed himself protectively in front of Anne. In a flash, Athos and D’Artagnan had drawn their weapons again, bodies tense. The man standing in the doorway looked down at his chest incredulously, where a growing red stain had appeared. Then his legs gave out and he collapsed on the floor.

None of them had noticed the man before, they hadn’t even realized that there had been a fifth kidnapper. Thankfully Aramis had been on overwatch and had taken out the threat. They needed to be more careful. Athos and D’Artagnan kept an eye on their surroundings, while Porthos untied Anne and took the gag out of her mouth. “Madame, are you alright? Are you hurt?” he asked.

“No, I’m not hurt. Oh God, Porthos, I’m so glad that you found me,” Anne answered, her voice shaky. She was still sitting in the chair and Porthos thought it best to leave her there for the moment. Once Athos and D’Artagnan had made sure that there were no more unwelcome surprises, Porthos helped Anne to her feet and led her outside. Anne leaned heavily on his arm. Despite the warm weather, she was trembling all over from shock. A silent communication between Athos and D’Artagnan and the young man moved off.

***************************************************

Now that he didn’t have to move silently any longer, it took D’Artagnan only a few minutes to get back to Aramis’ car. As she had promised, Constance still sat in the passenger seat. When she saw D’Artagnan step out of the bushes, she unlocked the car door and got out. 

Her boyfriend saw how nervous and worried she looked. He hadn’t forgotten yesterday’s argument and his gruff reaction, but right now that wasn’t important. He went over to Constance. 

“We found her. She’s alright. A mild shock, but no visible injuries.”

At his words Constance let out a relieved breath. The nervous tension left her body and she sagged slightly against the car for support. D’Artagnan moved closer and pulled her into his arms. Despite their argument, she was glad to be in his arms and that Anne was alright. They would have some things to talk about, but that could wait for another time. For an all too brief moment they stayed in each other’s arms, until D’Artagnan placed a gentle kiss on her head. “Come on, I’ll take you to Anne and then we should get her home.”

Constance nodded and got back into the car. D’Artagnan started the engine. Thanks to the four-wheel-drive of the SUV, they had no problems reaching the hut.

************************************************

When Porthos came outside with Anne, Aramis got to his feet. She couldn’t really see him, but even without the sniper scope, he had her in his sight. Her hair was a mess, her clothes were dirty and torn in places, there were a few smudges of dirt on her face and her eyes were red. 

To him, she had never been more beautiful. He was immeasurably glad to have her back, to see her and know that she was safe.

**********************************************

As D’Artagnan drove up to the hut, Athos was standing beside Porthos, who still supported Anne. She looked up at the sound of the approaching car. 

Constance saw Anne and before D’Artagnan had brought the car to a complete stop, she had the door open and ran over to her friend. “Oh Anne, thank God!” was all she could say, as she hugged her lost friend.

The embrace helped to settle Anne’s nerves a little. With the three bodyguards around, she felt almost safe again, but she sorely needed the comfort of a long-familiar face. Constance felt Anne trembling and asked for a blanket.

Aramis, who had left his hiding place by now to join the others, had already anticipated the request. He had stored his rifle back in the trunk and had picked up a blanket instead, which he gently wrapped around Anne’s shoulders. She nodded silently, breathing in his comforting scent when he was close enough to her. All too quickly for the both of them the moment passed. Constance took the place of Aramis and gently rubbed Anne’s arms. “Come, we’ll take you home. After a hot shower and some sleep, the world will look much better.” The two women went over to the car.

“Porthos, with me. D’Artagnan, Aramis, the cars in the parking lot,” Athos ordered. It had been a long night and an even longer day for them all, and he wasn’t in the mood for long instructions. The other three men felt the same. Porthos and Athos got into the car with the women, while D’Artagnan and Aramis headed back to the parking lot.

***************************************

In the car, Anne was still trembling. Constance had put an arm around her and talked to her in an effort to calm her down. As soon as they had left the forest, Athos dialed the number of the chateau’s doctor. “Lemay, we need you at the chateau as quickly as possible.” He immediately ended the call. This was not the best time for polite chitchat.

“Porthos, Lemay doesn’t have to come. I’m not hurt.” Despite the shock, the total exhaustion and the lingering fear, Anne was aware of what was going on around her.

Athos kept his eyes on the road as he answered. “Madame, that’s standard procedure. We have to call the doctor. Think of your cousin, he will be reassured by the doctor’s confirmation.”

Anne understood that argument and dropped the subject. She began to realize just how much of a toll the past night and day had taken on her. 

“Get some rest, I’ll wake you when we arrive,” Constance whispered. Anne nodded gratefully and leaned back in her seat.

Not wanting to disturb Anne with another phone call, Porthos sent a quick text message to Treville to let him know that Anne had been found, apparently unharmed and that they were on the way back to the chateau. Athos drove smoothly, avoiding any unnecessary maneuvers, so that Anne could get some rest and start regaining her strength for the things to come.

********************************************

Treville’s cellphone buzzed. A message from Porthos. Treville read it and immediately headed out of his office in search of Louis. He found the king in the gallery, trying to distract himself from worrying about his cousin with the paintings there. “Treville, please tell me you have good news.”

Treville smiled. “Yes, Sire. She is alright and on the way back to the chateau.”

Louis sank to the floor and made the sign of the cross. “God has a favorable eye on my family, Treville.”

“That he has, Sire,” Treville agreed. 

Louis got to his feet again. “I want to be informed the moment she arrives,” he ordered, before he turned in the direction of his rooms and left Treville standing in the gallery.

**********************************************

D’Artagnan and Aramis moved side by side through the forest. They weren’t really in a hurry to get back to the cars and although they were trained for such situations, the rescue had depleted their energy somewhat. Halfway back, D’Artagnan started to speak. “Pretty risky to ignore Athos’ orders and leave the Chateau. After all, he had left you in charge. Treville was alone.”

Aramis just clucked his tongue. “No, he wasn’t. Ten recruits, twenty guards and five men on call, not to mention another twenty men on standby. I’d hardly call that ‘alone’.” 

“You know what we mean.”

Aramis knew indeed, but he had needed that argument to convince himself to leave Treville back at the chateau. He decided to turn the tables on his friend. “What would you have done in my place?” Before D’Artagnan could answer, he added, “If Constance had been the one they had kidnapped?”

D’Artagnan couldn’t answer. The question remained hanging between them, but they both knew what the answer would have been.

*************************************

As promised, Constance gently woke Anne just as Athos drove through the entrance gate of the chateau, so that she was awake and alert, once the car had come to a stop. Treville immediately opened the rear door for her. “Madame, it’s a pleasure to see you. May I help you?” He offered her his hand, which she gladly accepted as she got out of the car, with Constance close behind her. Athos brought up the rear, while Porthos moved to the driver seat to take the car back to the garage. 

Treville accompanied Anne and Constance to Anne’s rooms, where the doctor was already waiting. He took a short bow as Anne entered, but kept his eyes solely on Constance. 

“Madame, I have been informed what has happened to you. May I do a short examination?” he asked courteously. Anne nodded.

“Make it quick, as a doctor you should be able to see that she is exhausted and urgently needs to rest,” Constance admonished him.

Lemay did not mind the rebuke. “Of course, Madame, please. Maybe you could assist me? You seem to have some knowledge in medical matters,” he answered. Constance nodded. It would probably go faster with her help.

Once the examination was finished and Lemay had declared Anne healthy and unhurt and had prescribed rest, Constance accompanied him out. At the door, he turned around to her. 

“Madame, it was a pleasure working with you. Thank you. Maybe we can have coffee some time and you can tell me where you acquired your knowledge of diagnostics.”

Constance tried to get rid of him as quickly as possible. “Yes, maybe some time.” She quickly closed the door in his face. The last thing she needed right now was a third man in her life. 

Her first priority at the moment was Anne.

When Constance got back, Athos was just about to leave. 

“Madame, I’ll take my leave now. We have stationed guards at the door, they will take shift to guard the rooms around the clock.” Anne was relieved. She didn’t feel entirely safe in the very rooms she had been kidnapped from. “Thank you, Athos. You have more than earned some rest yourself. Thank you for rescuing me.”

“Just doing my job, Madame,” Athos answered and left.

While Anne took a relaxing shower, Constance ordered an extensive dinner. Anne needed to get her strength back. Who knew when she had last eaten something…

Anne came back to the sitting room in short grey pajama pants, a white tank top and an eggshell-colored knit cardigan. The table had been set with a variety of hot and cold food and Constance was already seated. Anne joined her and the two women ate in companionable silence.

Once Anne was finished and was even able to smile again, Constance had the table cleared. Anne moved to the fireplace in the living room and a few minutes later, Constance joined her with two mugs in her hands. “Here. There’s no crisis, big or small, that can’t be gotten through with hot chocolate,” she said, handing her friend one of the mugs.

Anne laughed. “That’s true. Thank you.”

A short time later, they had only gotten halfway through their chocolate, Treville paid them a visit. “Madame, sorry for disturbing you. I know you need to rest, but I would like to ask you a few questions, while your memories and impressions are still fresh,” he explained.

Anne nodded. “Of course, if it will help with your investigation.”

“I’m sure it will,” Treville said, taking a seat on a sofa.

“I can’t tell you very much. I was here in the living room, when two black-clad men came in and sedated me. I think they used chloroform, I still remember that smell from school,” Anne started. Treville took notes on his cellphone.

“The next thing I remember is waking up in that hut. I have no idea about the time, only that it was night.”

“It was night?”

“Yes, I saw the moon shine in through the window.”

Treville nodded. “Did the kidnappers say anything?”

Anne swallowed. “Only once. They said that some duke didn’t want me hurt, I just had to disappear. It frightened me.” By now, tears were running down her face. “I was so afraid that they would decide to kill me anyway. I was bound and helpless, and no one was there. What if nobody would find me?”

Anne was sobbing so hard that her last words were difficult to make out. Treville understood and took his leave, not wanting to upset her even more. Constance silently put her arms around her friend, gently rocking her. “Come on, let’s get you to bed, tomorrow things will look better,” she said, once Anne’s sobs and tears had subsided. “If you want, I can sleep here   
tonight,” she offered.

For the first time since her rescue, Anne took a good look at her friend and realized how exhausted and tired Constance looked as well. She shook her head. “No, thanks. You’re right, I’ll feel better after a good night’s sleep. And you should get some sleep to, preferably in your own bed. I’ll be okay.”

“Well, if you say so…but I’m just a call away and I can be here in a minute.”

Anne smiled at her gratefully. “I understand. Good night.”

“Good night,” Constance answered, before she went back to her own bed.

Anne went to bed, but she couldn’t really close her eyes. Despite the guards outside her door, and despite her reassurances to Constance, she was still afraid. She tensed, when she heard a door open, but even in the dark, she quickly realized that she wasn’t in danger. Aramis was leaning against the doorframe, staring at her.

**************************

Aramis hadn’t been able to hold out any longer, he had to see her. Once the whole chateau had bedded down for the night and the corridors had become silent and empty, he had gone to her, grunting some lame excuse to the guards at her door. Now he was standing here, just a few meters away from her. 

Anne switched on the lamp on her bedside table. The soft light created a cozy and romantic atmosphere. Aramis was still looking at her, not moving from his spot.

Anne rose to her knees on the bed and reached out a hand to him. Aramis slowly pushed off the doorframe and approached her. His body and mind seemed to be on autopilot, the only thing that existed in his thoughts anymore was her. When he stood beside her bed, he took her hand and finally pulled her into a long-desired and much-needed embrace. He tried not to squeeze her too hard, but it was difficult to control the joy and relief he felt at having her back in his arms again, able to inhale her unique scent.

Still pressed closely against him, her voice slightly muffled, she asked shyly, “Will you stay here tonight? I’m still so afraid….”

Aramis simply nodded. How could he deny her anything? Reluctantly, he let go of her and took a seat in the armchair beside her bed.

That was not what Anne had intended. Gracefully she lay back down. “Please take the other side of the bed. I promise to behave myself.” That was all the invitation Aramis needed. Immediately he got to his feet and lay down beside her on top of the covers. 

Anne turned off the light. Even in the darkness, she finally felt completely safe again. Aramis was her safe haven. 

She didn’t know it yet, but she would soon realize that that would always be the case.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> At the end I just wanna know how do you like the new side of this story. The crime factor? Do you wanna read more of it. What part of it do you like the most? Any wishs for the future. Just let me know.


	13. Hammam

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello Everybody, this chapter will bring your nerves down from the last chapter. It’s all about relaxation and regeneration. I hope you also like this calm scene with our heroes. Here are the Outfit of [Constance](https://pin.it/sy5jcherm7epkf)   
> [Anne](https://pin.it/ezlf2nx5vzkkan) and [a map with the location of the spa](https://pin.it/iv7yiswmq522ao) [quiet room](https://pin.it/yuxture6lg3tz4) [whirlpool](https://pin.it/6zqsgn5hxbacx6) [bath room](https://pin.it/hiucrpt6tciavz) [reception](https://pin.it/wj6n4tnsyzwr5l)

The blonde woman in the bed tried to pull the covers over her face, but the sun shining in through her bedroom window was not so easily blocked. She gave up the fight. Since she wasn't going to get any more sleep, she might just as well get up and do something with her day. The last night had been more restful than any in quite a long time. She turned over, reaching out to the other side of the bed, only to find it empty. The covers and pillow were still rumpled, but when she rested her hand on the pillow, where a few hours ago his head had lain, it was cold. She hadn't noticed when he had left.

Feeling a little sad, she sat up. The movement dislodged a piece of paper and it slid into her hand. How could I ever leave something so beautiful? But unfortunately I had to, duty called it read. The compliment made her smile. If he had said it to her in person, she probably would have blushed as well. Much happier now, she let herself fall back into the fluffy pillows. This was almost better than falling asleep next to him. 

There was a knock on the door. Just like last night, when Aramis had come to her. Her eyes searched the room for any sort of weapon, but before she could reach for the lamp on her bedside table – a very unsuitable and terribly cliché weapon anyway – Constance's head appeared in the doorway. 

"Oh, Anne, I hope I didn't wake you." Constance knew the look on her friend's face very well. Her own face had the same expression when someone surprised her if she was working on her correspondence course. And she also knew that she hated being called out for it. So, being the good friend that she was, she didn't mention Anne's deer-in-the-headlight look and just moved over to the bed to flop down beside her. 

Anne unobtrusively regarded her friend. Constance wore simple black trousers, tight fitting but apparently very comfortable judging by the easy way she moved in them, and an oversized white cableknit sweater. Ankle-high brown lace-up boots had been carelessly kicked off before she lay down. 

"So, how are you? Did a good night's sleep help?" Constance asked.   
Anne just nodded, trying not to beam with happiness. "Yes, the night was very restful. Getting some sleep really helped, just like you said."

"Okay….." Constance didn't really believe her. Sleep might help somewhat, but it wouldn't undo all that had happened. She patted the bed. "I know something that will be even better for you. A spa day."

"But…." Anne started to protest.

"No, no 'but's' and I definitely won't take no for an answer." There was that certain look in Constance's eyes. Anne knew it. When her friend looked like that, it was best to just tell her what she wanted to here." "Okay, if you insist."

"Yes, I do. Now, go and get dressed. I'll arrange everything. Just leave it to me."  
Anne just grinned. Both women got up and while Constance went into the living room to order breakfast and plan the rest of the day, Anne went to her wardrobe to select her clothes for the day. Deciding on a casual outfit, too, she chose an oversized brown knit pullover, a knee-length flared skirt in a darker brown, and matching ankle boots. When she was ready, she joined Constance in the sitting room. The servants had just left, so the two women took a seat at the table for their breakfast.

****************************************

Treville had called I his four best men first thing in the morning. Tiredly, the men trotted into the office.

"Messieurs, a lot has happened in the last few days. We should discuss what happened and how we can react to a possible aftermath." The men nodded. They knew that they had acted without proper authorization. Treville gave them free reign in most situations, but in return they had to report what they had done and provide proof and justification for their actions. 

That way he could back them more effectively. Athos felt compelled to start. When he came to the part where they had met Aramis in the forest, he also mentioned Constance. Aramis guiltily lowered his gaze to the floor. Reported objectively and emotionlessly, he recognized his error and just how much he had endangered her. Treville gave him a reprimanding look, glad that nothing worse had happened. Once Athos had finished his report, D'Artagnan asked, "The bodies?"

It was a simple question. Usually they were very careful not to leave any traces, so the police wouldn't be able to pin anything on them. This time they had left a mess. 

"I've taken care of it. Local police is on the way. They had been unable to solve the situation, so I told them that they could take the credit for it. That convinced them," Treville answered.

Porthos nodded knowingly. They could count on their captain. They always had each other's backs.

"There must have been someone pulling the strings in the background. Those men were far too unorganized, none of them could have planned the whole thing," he said.

D'Artagnan nodded. "Yes, I thought so, too. Henry was with the Red Guard, but they have nothing to do with it, although they could have gotten the job."

"You found that out through the whelp?" Porthos asked incredulously.

"Yes, he did a pretty good job. A man contacted the Guard, but because one of their men screwed up the deal fell through."

Treville had taken notes during the discussion and he already had someone in mind. A lot of strings, and most of them let to one person. The only thing missing was evidence. Without that he couldn’t act, so he had to be patient, but at least his suspicion matched Anne's statement. 

Just before the meeting ended, the phone rang. Treville picked up. "Yes. Yes, I understand. Good, see you later. Au revoir," was all he said. 

"The ladies will be at Les Bains de Marrakech today. Porthos, D'Artagnan, go ahead and check the premises. I want no more surprises. Athos, Aramis, take two of the recruits with you."

The men nodded. The situation was difficult and they were all tense. A higher level of security was better than another incident. Porthos and D'Artagnan went straight to the garage and headed for the spa. It wasn't far from the chateau, only about fifteen minutes down the road.

*******************************

Athos and Aramis went to the guard room. At this time of the morning, a large number of the security men were there, preparing for their duty shifts. Aramis approached two young men. 

They had been at the chateau for nine months now and had proven themselves not too bad at the training exercises. 

"Bonnet, Blanc, you're on field duty with us today," he said, and went straight back to Athos. 

Marc Bonnet was very nervous. His first real assignment. He had come to the chateau straight from basic training in the army, where he had only done simple tasks. He had never been on field duty before. Vincent Blanc, his newfound friend, was cut from a different cloth. He had been stationed in Senegal, although he had not been assigned to a fighting unit. He was what one would call a wannabe. Feeling cool, he told Marc in a low voice, "I don't know what's so grand about babysitting two women. Guarding the king, now that would be something."

The four men went to the garage, got out two Volvos ad waited for the women at the grand staircase. Anne and Constance came down ten minutes later. Athos and Aramis got out of the car and held open the doors for the ladies. The two recruits were in the second car a little further back.

Anne stole a quick glance at Aramis, who couldn't keep his eyes off her. The drive to the spa didn't take very log. Constance turned around once and then spoke to Athos. "I think we're being followed."

Athos tried to conceal a grin, not wanting to embarrass her. "Don't worry, they're our people. Treville didn't want to restrict your movements, but to provide added security, two additional men will support us."

Porthos and D'Artagnan were already waiting for them at the entrance of the spa. When Anne got out of the car, she whispered to Aramis, "Isn't that a little too much?"

Aramis looked deep into her eyes. "Not at all. Treville just wants you to feel safe and I find that very reassuring."

Anne wasn't convinced, but if it made him feel better and didn't restrict her, she wouldn't object.

She and Constance went inside. Athos, Vincent and Aramis followed them, while Porthos, D'Artagnan and Marc stayed outside to keep an eye on their surroundings. Constance went straight to the reception desk. "Good morning. I'm Madame Bonancieux, I called this morning and made an appointment."

"Yes, of course. One moment, please, I will call your personal attendant," the receptionist said, reaching for the phone. A short time later, a woman came out of one of the corridors. "Bonjour. My name is Isabel. It is my pleasure to welcome you. Oh, I thought the appointment was for two women?" She looked at the three men in confusion.

"Oh, that’s still the case. It's just that my friend Anne needs personal protection. We're from the chateau," Constance explained. 

That was enough for the attendant. Chateau Fontainebleau was well-known for its exclusivity. The people of Fontainebleau were used to it and accepted it without question. The king took good care of them and they were loyal to him.

"Of course. All areas have already been inspected. Messieurs, you're welcome to wait in our visitor lounge," she said, indicating a comfortable waiting area. The men nodded and went over to the lounge. Isabel turned to the two women. "Let me welcome you again to Les Bains de Marrakech. I see that you have decided to indulge yourself. The first item on your program will be an hour in our hammam, followed by a full-body peeling with black soap and a plant-infused ghassoul mask."

"That sounds very oriental," Anne said appreciatively. Isabel led them to the changing rooms and then to the hammam. Anne and Constance enjoyed the peace and quiet, since they were the only guests at the moment. They reveled in the pleasant scents and beneficial oils and Anne could feel the tension of the last couple of days disappear. When the hour was up, they went into a different room. The whole spa was built and decorated in an oriental style, with earthy colors and low-level lighting, designed to make visitors feel as if they were really in Marrakesh. Refreshments and resting places were provided everywhere. In the second room, two women were already waiting for Constance and Anne to apply a skin cleansing peeling, which was then washed off by soaking in a large tub with rose petals floating on the water. Anne and Constance were lying side by side, eyes closed, relaxing. After a while, Anne was the first to speak. "I'm sorry I didn't have time to look through your divorce papers."

"Anne, that's completely understandable, with everything that has been going on. Don't worry about it!" Constance answered.

"I'll show them to the lawyers this week and let you know."  
Constance decided to change the topic. "What's going on with you and Aramis?" 

Anne opened her eyes. "What are you talking about?"

Constance was still relaxing in the water. "I saw the way he looks at you when he thinks that no one will notice him. And your whispered conversations at the cars aren't as secret as you think, either."

"Well…I….." Anne stammered.  
Constance let her off the hook. "You don't need to say anything. I'm happy for you. Just please be careful."

The last items on their agenda were an hour-long massage and a facial treatment. When they had changed back into street clothes and went back to the car, Anne looped her arm through Constance's. "You were right, this was just what I needed."


	14. Missed call

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey everyone, after the calm chapter there will be new action, of course. But this time Anne and Constance will save the day :D. Happy to read your thoughts in the comments.

Athos had gone to bed only two hours ago. The streetlamps were shining into his bedroom, but he didn’t mind. He hadn’t even bothered to undress, just flopped down on his bed and was now lying face down, with one hand tucked under the pillow and the other loosely at his side. Suddenly his cellphone vibrated. The wooden nightstand amplified the vibration. Athos grumbled as the sound penetrated his sleep-fogged brain. Without opening his eyes, he fumbled for the offending object and blindly tapped the display. After a couple of unsuccessful tries, he finally managed to silence it. He turned around and fell back into a dreamless sleep. 

A couple of hours later, sunlight had taken the place of the streetlamps, he awoke groggily, feeling as if every ray of sunshine was blinding him. Flipping back the covers, he sat up and rubbed his eyes. It took a couple of minutes before he found the energy to actually get out of bed. Stumbling towards the bedroom, he knocked over a couple of beer bottles. Well, he’d have to take care of them later. Apparently, he had overdone it a little at the bar last night and was now paying for it with a hangover. 

After a thorough scrubbing in the shower he felt refreshed, although he still had a headache. Hopefully a cup of coffee would take care of that. With only a towel wrapped around his hips, he went into the kitchen, made some coffee and read up on the news on his tablet. Once his mug was empty and the coffee was slowly clearing his mind, he went back to the bedroom to get dressed, then he headed to the chateau in his company car. 

He put the car into the garage and went up to the guard room to pick up his equipment, a walkie-talkie clipped to his belt, a gun from the weapons locker and an additional magazine just in case. Next, he checked the duty roster for the day. Nothing out of the ordinary, just the usual guard duties, shifts and patrols. He found himself assigned to paperwork and reports. This day was getting better and better. Before he had a chance to complain or go over to one of the workstations, the door opened and Treville came in. 

Without looking at any one in particular, the captain just called into the room, “Marc Bonnet, Vincent Blanc, Pascal Roussel. Field duty. Your assignment has already been sent to your cellphones. Don’t disappoint me.” He was already on his way out again, when Athos stopped him. “What happened? A field assignment?”

“Mademoiselle Burke’s gallery has been vandalized. We are to investigate and offer our help,” Treville answered. That certainly got Athos’ full attention and pushed his weariness and the dull throbbing in his head to the back of his mind. “I will take the lead on this assignment. 

These men don’t have enough experience yet with this kind of field duty.”

Treville gave him a scrutinizing look, surprised that Athos volunteered for this assignment.   
The man was always dutiful and reliable, but he wasn’t usually that eager for work, a trait he shared with Porthos and Aramis. Only D’Artagnan still had his youthful exuberance. 

Athos tried to sound convincing without letting on why he had really volunteered for this. “Mademoiselle Burke is a new and lucrative client of Louis’, we need to make a good impression. In such a situation we have to show strength. I will be there just to support and coach the men, but there should be someone more experienced present.”

That was a good argument and Treville agreed. “Alright, but do stay in the background, we need our men to gain experience.” 

Athos nodded, glad that Treville had accepted his excuse.

A few minutes later they were on their way to the gallery in an Audi A6. Athos had automatically gone to the driver seat and now drove at a speed that didn’t quite match the current traffic conditions – or the speeding laws for that matter. 

At the gallery he quickly found a parking spot on the right-hand side of the street and took in the situation as soon as he was out of the car. Two patrol cars stood in front of the gallery. 

To his relief, he didn’t see an ambulance, so nobody was hurt. There were a few onlookers, but not too many. In this respect, the location of the gallery was an advantage. Two policemen were standing behind the crime scene tape cordoning off the entrance and part of the pavement. The three recruits stood beside the car, unsure what, if anything, they were supposed to do now. Athos noticed this from the corner of his eye and was glad he had decided to come. Purposefully he headed towards the entrance, ducked under the tape and carefully opened the door. The police officers had recognized him and the car as he had come down the street and knew better than to try and stop one of the king’s bodyguards.

Inside, the gallery looked terrible. Police officers of all ranks and stations were everywhere, collecting evidence, taking photographs, noting down details or simply surveying the scene. 

At the sound of glass crunching under his feet, Athos looked down and noticed that the floor underneath the front windows was littered with broken glass, where something or someone had smashed the largest window. Next, his eyes travelled to the walls. The formerly pristine white paint had been defaced with red spray paint. He didn’t recognize any specific tags or even words, it seemed to be just random squiggles. He stepped further into the room and looked at the photographs on the walls. They had been torn and slashed, hardly any of them had escaped the widespread destruction. Athos recognized the holes and cuts left by a knife. 

Finally, he found Jeany. She was sitting at the bar, with an officer standing beside her, a cellphone in his hand. Apparently, he was taking her statement. Athos went over to her, but at first she didn’t notice him. Her eyes were fixed on the wooden top of the bar and she had a glass of water in her hand. Athos stood close beside her and only when she actually felt his presence she looked up, surprised to see him. Immediately, the officer and his questions were forgotten, which, of course, the man didn’t like at all. “Excuse me, who do you think you are?” he asked angrily.

Athos ignored him and concentrated on Jeany instead. “How are you? Are you hurt?”   
Jeany shook her head and let Athos pull her into an embrace. He noticed how much her whole body was trembling.

The officer tried again. “With all due respect, Monsieur, we’re in the middle of a witness statement.”

Athos had enough. “I am her friend. Athos, of the personal guard of King Louis. I assume that name means something to you.”

Jeany managed a small smile when Athos introduced himself as her friend. They hadn’t yet defined the nature of their relationship, they hadn’t even talked about the night they had spent together, but after last night, it was wonderful to be safe in his arms.

The officer flinched slightly, now that he knew wo was standing in front of him. So far he had known the second-in-command of Captain Treville, the head of security, only by name. 

Suitably subdued, he went back to his colleagues. 

For a moment Athos squeezed Jeany a little tighter, then he looked at her questioningly. He didn’t want to pressure her, but he needed to know what had happened.

“It happened so quickly….I was in the office,” Jeany started, haltingly. 

“Your office is where?” Athos asked, needing to know every detail.

“Back there.” Jeany pointed to an area at the back of the actual gallery. Athos nodded.  
“Then I heard sounds. I thought it was the cat and continued working. When I heard glass breaking, I was alarmed.”

That explained the broken window in the entrance area, Athos thought.

“I was afraid. I have never been robbed before, I didn’t know what to do. I mean, there’s nothing worth stealing here. There’s a little money in the till for the café, but the photographs are all paid for by bank transfer. For tax reasons alone I don’t accept cash payments.” Jeany took a sip of her water before she continued. “I hid in the darkroom, because that can be locked from the inside. I dialed the first number in my phone, but nobody picked up, then I called the police.”

When Athos heard that she had tried calling him first…He felt honored, but also so very stupid. Drunk as he had been, he hadn’t even looked at the display. He could have been here much earlier and prevented some, if not all of it. Suddenly he felt swamped by guilt. It was very kind of her not to mention his name; he knew that in her place he would have reacted differently. “The police, when did they arrive?” he asked.

“They came far too late, the intruders were already gone. I hadn’t heard a sound for ten minutes before I heard the sirens.” Jeany looked around in dismay. “They didn’t find money,   
so they destroyed everything. The photographs, the walls…” When she realized the full extent of the damage, her head drooped in despair. Athos was unsure how to react, so he just stroked her back soothingly. 

The entrance door of the gallery opened again and another group of people stepped on the broken glass littering the floor. Jeany didn’t look up again. Athos placed himself protectively in front of her, not wanting a fresh group of police officers to harass her, but he quickly relaxed again as he recognized the new arrivals. Porthos, Anne and Constance were standing at the entrance, where he had been a few minutes before. Anne made a beeline for Jeany, pushing past Athos. “Oh God, Jeany, come here! We came as soon as we heard.” Before Jeany could say anything, Anne had already embraced her. Constance came over as well, and once Anne had let go, she hugged Jeany too. 

Athos nodded to Porthos and the two men moved a short distance away from the women. “I don’t think this is a good place for the king’s cousin right now,” Athos said, as they both observed the officers at work. 

“Anne had heard about the break-in and insisted to come. There was no convincing her to stay at the chateau,” Porthos explained. Athos nodded. He had expected something like this.  
The door opened for the third time and D’Artagnan came over to his two friends. “Athos, Porthos, Treville sent me. There have been multiple break-ins.”

The two men looked at him with interest. Break-ins were not uncommon around here and especially in Paris. There must have been something special about these ones for Treville to send D’Artagnan. 

“What other break-ins?” Athos asked.

“Each one was at a gallery. All of them financed by Louis, all were robbed and destroyed, one was set on fire. The fire brigade is at work there now.”

So that was what Treville had thought so special: it looked like someone was targeting Louis. Galleries were good for his image, but they also generated a lot of revenue. Before Athos or Porthos could ask anything, D’Artagnan continued. “Teams have already been dispatched to collect evidence at every site. We will take care of this.”

“Understood. Ah, here are the newbies. D’Artagnan, we need to collect evidence here, looks like the police aren’t doing a good job. Take care of it,” Porthos said. D’Artagnan nodded and motioned the three young men over, who had just entered the gallery, evidence cases in their hands. After a short instruction they went to work. Unsurprisingly, the police officers were not pleased, least of all the one who had questioned Jeany earlier, and tried to interfere with the recruits’ investigation. “Hey, this is still a crime scene, and *we* have jurisdiction here. Old veterans have to wait in line,” he said.

Before D’Artagnan could tell the man where he would like to put his veteran fist, Athos stepped between the two men. “We have orders from our captain and we’d like to offer our help. Why don’t you and your men take a break? Coffee’s on us.”

*******************************************

Jeany sat beside Anne and Constance, completely worn out. She wasn’t crying, but her body language and the look on her face clearly showed how much the destruction of her gallery dismayed her. Anne and Constance tried to find comforting words, but nothing they said could change what happened. 

“The damages will run into the ten thousands. Some of the photographs have already been sold and the payments were due tomorrow. And that’s not even counting the damage to the building,” Jeany summarized dejectedly. 

“We’ll help you,” Constance promised, trying to console her.

Anne nodded. “We won’t let you deal with this alone.”

“Thanks, but I don’t want to borrow money. I want to make it on my own.”

Anne and Constance completely understood. “Okay, but at least let me deal with the insurance company for you,” Anne said and Jeany gladly accepted her offer.

****************************************

The police officers had gotten their coffee and were now standing around at their patrol cars outside. D’Artagnan was with Pascal, Marc and Vincent, while Porthos looked around the back rooms of the gallery and Athos took a closer look at the alarm system. From the outside,   
there was no visible damage, but when he tried to reset the system, all he got was a few blinking lights. He checked the files on the attached computer and found some errors in the logs, so he transferred the important data to a thumb drive and went back to Jeany. 

“Excuse me, did someone do something with the alarm system?” he asked.

“Not that I know of. A technician from the security firm was here to install a new operating system, that’s all,” Jeany said after a moment’s thought, before she turned back to Anne and Constance.

Athos returned to Porthos and waved over D’Artagnan as well. “There’s something wrong with the security system, that’s why the alarm didn’t go off,” he reported. 

D’Artagnan nodded. “I just heard from the other teams, all systems seem to have been manipulated, and it looked like an inside job. They saved the pertinent data and will take everything back to the chateau,” he said. Before they could continue their speculation, the three recruits came over to them. 

“We collected everything we could find, but it was mostly destruction, no fingerprints or hairs.”

The older men nodded. 

Jeany stood up. “I’ll go home now, I can’t look at this any longer.”   
Athos went over to her, intending to accompany her. Without hesitation, Anne offered,” Come with us to the chateau. You might still be on their list and the chateau will be much safer. At least until the intruders have been caught.”

Jeany nodded. She would really feel much safer at the chateau. “Thanks. I’ll just pack a few things.”

Anne nodded. Athos accompanied her to her private rooms in the back. The others got into the cars, leaving one at the gallery for Athos and Jeany. 

By the time Athos and Jeany arrived at the chateau, Anne had already had rooms prepared for her. Athos showed her there and then let her unpack and get some rest. 

Once Jeany had made herself at home in her rooms, a servant took her to Anne’s sitting room. Constance and Anne were sitting at a sumptuously set table. 

“Ah, Jeany, how nice. Please take a seat, we waited for you with lunch.”

Jeany took the offered seat and the women enjoyed their meal. It felt good to be distracted by Anne and Constance. After a while, Constance brought the conversation back to the matter at hand. “Anne and I had the idea to organize a masquerade ball, where we could collect donations for all the destroyed galleries. Maybe with an auction for valuable artwork.” 

Jeany was excited. “A masquerade ball is a wonderful idea! And the auction would benefit all the gallery owners as well,” she said.

“Okay, it’s decided then. We’ll start planning tomorrow.”

*********************************************************

That evening, Athos, Porthos, Aramis and D’Artagnan were in Treville’s office, with all evidence, reports and crime scene photos spread out before them. Athos recognized Jeany’s gallery, as well as the Galerie Emmanuel Perrotin. The intruders had apparently used the same procedure of rob and destroy in all the break-ins. The only difference was the fire at the one close to Paris. 

“We need answers quickly, Messieurs. I will investigate the fire myself, you’ll concentrate on the manipulated alarm systems,” Treville decided. 

The other four men nodded understanding of their assignments. “Find the one who hacked the systems and we’ll find the intruders, and through them maybe the men behind all this,” Aramis voiced what Treville had been thinking.


	15. pirate informatique

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey my dear readers, todays chapter will be technique. I hope you like it. I fell in love with the new character. Hope you like it too. 
> 
> Like always there are some pictures :  
> [jogging route](https://pin.it/yif7aj55dxozs6)  
> [Jeanys Outfit](https://pin.it/hq5zuodnxcff4t)  
> [Aramis Outfit](https://pin.it/bnxkdmjipgnwz2)  
> [Porthos outfit](https://pin.it/ouevbl7gxtceyg)

Early next morning, Jeany took her workout clothes out of the wardrobe; black tights, a black sports bra, a pink racerback tank top with turquoise letters and matching pink and black running shoes, as well as a basecap. She tied her hair in a high ponytail and glanced out of the window to check the weather. The sun was just peeking over the horizon, but most of the park was still in shadow. A perfect start for the day. 

She left the chateau and went down to the English Garden. Not wanting to overdue it today, she decided not to go too far, but a little run would help to clear her head. Her route led through the English Garden, then along the lake back to the chateau, the long way around the Grand Parterre and past the Romulus Fountain, before she turned back. 

Since she wanted to meet with Anne and Constance this morning, she decided to skip the Napoleon Fountain and the Bassin des Cascade. Back in her room, she took a refreshing shower, dressed for the day and went in search of Anne. The numerous corridors still confused her, but after a short search she managed to find the right door. 

“Good morning, Jeany, nice to see you. Come join us on the sofa.”  
Jeany happily returned the greeting and took a seat on the large, comfortable couch. Two laptops and a couple of papers were spread out on the low table. 

“Okay, I already noted down some points for our plan,” Anne said.   
Jeany was impressed. She was used to having to do everything herself and it was nice to work as a team for once. 

“First of all, we need to set a date.”

“I would suggest the next Saturday. The weekends after that are religious holidays and there are also a number of big events in Paris that we would have to compete with,” Jeany said.   
Anne checked her calendar. “That will leave us only a few days, but we’ve managed similar events in the past. Together we can do it,” she said.

“Okay, so the date is set. We should make a list for the other open points,” Constance said, grabbing a piece of paper and a pen to take notes. 

Anne ticked off the points. “We need a location.”

“Oh, I know the perfect place. We can use the ballroom. Anne and I had dinner there once and when I took a tour of the chateau, I couldn’t stop staring,” Constance suggested. Jeany was happy to trust her judgment in that. 

“Okay, I’ll take care of the guest list. Louis should be informed as well, I can do that, too,”   
Anne decided. Constance duly noted it and added a point of her own. “The ballroom needs to be decorated. I’ll ask the servants for help with that.”

“I can take care of the music. Perhaps classical music for the auction and something more modern for later, maybe even a DJ,” Jeany suggested.

“Oh yes, I like that. That’s another point done.” Constance noted that as well and then mentioned one final point. “The artwork for the auction needs to be collected, categorized and prepared for presentation.”

Jeany nodded “I can take care of that as well. I have some connections to art dealers and collectors, I’m sure they’d be happy to donate some things for a good cause,” she offered. Constance nodded. “I’ll help you with that.” 

“That would be nice, thanks.”

Anne checked their list again. “It looks like between us we have all points covered. I’d say, we have a lot to do and not a lot of time, so let’s get to it.” 

The women split up to start working on their assigned tasks. 

*******************************************

Aramis and Porthos stood in front of an internet café in one of the smaller side streets of Paris, dressed appropriately for their assignment to find whoever had hacked into the security systems, or to at least find out as much as possible. Aramis wore a short-sleeved blue shirt with small white dots, beige cargo shorts and white sneakers. To complete the “nerd look”, he also had a pair of glasses tucked into the front of the shirt. 

Porthos had chosen a different style: a simple grey t-shirt with a generic print, beige trousers and grey Nikes. He entered the café first and Aramis followed behind him. The place was a favorite spot for hackers. 

They discreetly looked around the café. Aramis nudged Porthos and indicated a black-clad man at the back of the room, who was typing furiously on his keyboard. Porthos understood immediately and approached the man. Aramis stayed in the background and kept an eye on the room and the people.

Porthos went up to the young man and sat down opposite him. “Hey, man.”  
The man looked up. “What do you want?”

“I’m Porthos. Have you heard about that big thing going down?”  
“What big thing?” The man didn’t sound very interested, but he *had* asked, and Porthos knew from countless talks and interrogations that he was hooked. 

“Some has hacked into one of the most secure systems,” Porthos explained.  
“Hmmm….can’t be all that secure, then.”

“You sure about that?”  
“Of course, otherwise it would already be on the Darknet,” the man answered. 

“And you know that, because you are…..”  
“Mathis Roux.”

Finally Porthos had a name. “I have a job for someone who knows about such things,” he said.  
“Thanks, but no, thanks.”

“I can pay, just name a price,” Porthos insisted.

Mathis packed up his keyboard and put his backpack on the table. “I don’t want your blood money.” Before Porthos could say anything else, Mathis left.

********************************************

After their little planning session, Anne went straight to Louis. He sat at his desk, surrounded by various documents and an open laptop. When the door opened, he raised his head. “Ah, Anne. How nice. I heard you had a spa day. How was it?” They embraced and kissed on the cheek.

“Wonderfully relaxing. Really, it was very good. You should try it sometime,” Anne said, taking a seat beside him. 

“Maybe I will, if you recommend it that much,” Louis said, turning back to his papers.   
“Louis, I came here for a reason. I think you have been informed about the break-ins at the galleries, including Jeany’s?”

This time Louis didn’t look up. The attack had hit him hard, but he didn’t want to show weakness, so he reacted like he always did and ignored it. Anne was used to this since childhood and refused to let it stop her. 

“We want to organize a masquerade ball with an art auction as the main event. The money from the auction will then go into the rebuilding and repair of the affected galleries.”

Louis didn’t react, aimlessly flipping through some of the papers.

“You don’t need to do anything. Together will Constance and Jeany, I will organize everything. We’ve already split the work between us. You just need to let us use the ballroom. Oh, and it would be nice if you could be there as patron of our project.”

As usual, she could lure him in with the offer to be a patron. He didn’t have to do any work and the project would polish up his image and restore his reputation, which had been tarnished by the attacks. “Alright, if you’ll organize everything…. Use the ballroom, but make sure there won’t be any damages. And I will show up for a while,” he said. 

Anne knew better than to be hurt by his words. That was just the way he was. They could use the ballroom and he would show up, that was all that mattered.

“As patron, I guess I’ll have to donate a few items myself. Please discuss this with the staff.” As far as he was concerned, that was the end of the topic.

“Thanks, Louis. This means a lot to me and especially to Jeany and the other gallery owners,” Anne said.

************************************************

Athos and D’Artagnan sat in the guard room with a laptop in front of them, looking not exactly pleased with themselves. They had the computer files open and were trying to find out why, and more importantly how, someone had been able to circumvent the security systems, but they were quickly reaching the limits of their knowledge. All they could to was stare at the monitor and randomly press keys every now and then. 

“Henry showed a lot of potential. Good boy,” D’Artagnan remarked without taking his eyes off the screen. That gave Athos an idea. “Maybe Henry should go back to the Guard then.”  
Now D’Artagnan looked at him. “You think the Guard has something to do with it?”

“Maybe, but it couldn’t hurt to find out if they have a hacker, anyway, so we can be prepared for this new threat,” Athos answered.

“Okay, I’ll take care of it,” D’Artagnan said and left the room.

************************************************

Constance was in the ballroom, giving instructions to a group of servants. She had made a plan for the decorations and everyone had their assigned tasks. Once they all knew what they had to do, Constance went back to her apartment, where Jeany was waiting for her. 

With laptops and cellphones before them, they had contacted various art collectors and had already been promised a number of objects, so they were both satisfied with the result of their work up to now. At that momen , an e-mail from Anne came in, who had photographed and described the objects Louis had donated, so they could add the information to their list.

“Thanks for your help, Constance. I couldn’t do this without you. How do you know so much about these things?” Jeany asked.

Constance blushed. “Thank you. I took an online course. I chose the same subject as Anne, that’s how we met,” she explained. 

“An online course? Why? Isn’t that much more exhausting?”

Constance began to feel uncomfortable. In a subdued voice she continued. “My husband   
didn’t want me to study. He didn’t want me to work either. I was just supposed to keep house, so I had a lot of free time while he was at work. That’s when I started an online course and worked on it while he was away. He never noticed anything.”

*******************************************************************

Athos was still sitting in front of the laptop, out of his depth with the problem in front of him. He was a man of action. Shooting, fighting, that he could do. This here was new and completely out of his wheelhouse.

Marc Bonnet slowly approached him. Athos’ eyes wandered from the laptop to Marc, looking at the young man openly and expectantly. Patiently he waited for him to speak. Finally, Marc had gathered enough courage to say something. “I know these characters. One of my fellow students at university always had something like that on his laptop. He knows a lot about computers.”

Now that was an interesting information. “Do you trust him?” Athos asked.

Marc nodded enthusiastically. 

“Would he help us?”

“I think so. He always wanted to serve, but he couldn’t join the army, because he failed the fitness evaluation, so he never got the chance to work for the king. I think, if you offered him something…”

Athos nodded and closed the laptop. “Good. Set up a meeting. Today, if possible. At a café. I’ll come with you,” he decided.

“Okay, I’ll call him right away.”

Athos left the room and Marc went into a quiet corner and took out his cellphone. Luckily, his friend picked up. Marc explained the assignment and who it came from. His friend was very interested and agreed to meet the same afternoon. Marc was glad, that his idea had worked out so far.

******************************************

D’Artagnan had been unable to find Henry on the grounds, so he went back to the guard room. Athos had already left. Just as D’Artagnan was about to leave again himself, Henry came in.

“Henry, how are you?” D’Artagnan went over to him. 

“I’m okay. I just wanted to let you know that I have to go back to the Guard today. We have a training session and it’s time I showed up there again,” Henry answered.

D’Artagnan nodded. That was a great opportunity. “Perfect timing, I have a new assignment for you,” he said.

Henry looked at him expectantly.

“We need to know if the Red Guard has a hacker, someone who knows his way around computers. And if they do, we need a name, so I need you to keep your ears open.”

“Okay, I’ll listen around. If there is one, I’ll get the name for you,” Henry said.

“Very well. Go pick up your equipment and report to me tomorrow morning. We need the information as quickly as possible.”

D’Artagnan left and Henry was alone with his thoughts. While he picked up his equipment, his thoughts were all over the place. On the one hand, he was glad for the opportunity to show his full potential, but on the other hand it was a risky assignment. He would be on his own, alone among the wolves.


	16. An unwelcome visitor

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey, the masquerade ball will com in the next chapter, but first we need to plan a bit. SO just enjoy this short chapter and be excited for the new one. Also some of the donated objects have pictures, links are here:  
> [Link text](url)  
> [Lapis clock](https://pin.it/ftardmjozrxhf3) [ruby earrings](https://pin.it/gicbecf24pdls3) [flower brooch](https://pin.it/mdzrlfycjtvev3) [golden camel](https://pin.it/tvkpnarp7ygxuc) [onyx earrings](https://pin.it/asn5ex254gcm62) [bronce teacup](https://pin.it/zmk64l74wpcy4b)
> 
> I did a lot of research for that and wanna know what do you think about them and which one is your favorite. Tell me in the comments.

In the afternoon, Athos and Marc met with Marc’s fellow student in an internet café in Fontainebleau. After entering the café, the two men stopped briefly inside the door to look over the guests. Marc turned to his boss. “I’d better greet him alone first, he’s easily spooked.” Athos nodded and went over to the bar to get drinks for them. It was always good to support local businesses. 

Marc had quickly located his friend in a back corner of the café and went over to him. “Nathan, good to see you. Thanks for coming,” he said as they embraced in greeting.   
“Hey, I just couldn’t refuse after all the times you saved me from those sports jocks.”  
Marc waved his hand dismissively. “They were just idiots.”

Athos came over with two cups of coffee and put them on the table.   
“Nathan, this is Athos, my boss at Chateau Fontainebleau,” Marc said. Athos shook the young man’s hand.

“Athos, this is Nathan de Villier. We went to university together.”  
Athos unobtrusively looked the man over. He was lankier than Marc, almost scrawny, and his oversized dark clothes made him seem even more so, but Athos also noticed a certain gleam in his eyes.

Shyly Nathan started to speak. “I always wanted to work for the king, but he only takes people with military training. I couldn’t join the military, since I didn’t pass muster.”

Athos nodded. Marc had already told him the same. “Training is not the only thing that matters, we also need men with a sharp mind. I could talk to the captain, but I can’t make any promises,” he said.

Nathan felt a spark of hope. “Oh yes, please. I’m good at what I do. Marc always says what I lack in brawn, I make up for in brains.”

“That’s what he told me as well. So you know your way around computers and technical systems?” Athos gave him a scrutinizing look. 

Nathan swallowed nervously before he answered. “Yes, and I brought my laptop. I had a feeling it might have something to do with that.”

“Good thinking. I like that. Prove yourself and I’ll put in a good word for you with the captain. But first I need something from you. We have a file that we can’t make heads or tails of.”  
Nathan was very interested. “I’ll see what I can find out, but it’s going to cost you.”

“How much?” Athos asked.

“A job.”

Athos grinned. “You’re certainly persistent.”   
Nathan nodded, knowing that he had to stick to his guns. Marc looked from one to the other like a spectator at a tennis match.

“I like that. I’ll be sure to mention it. Here’s the thumb drive. Athos handed over the memory stick with the information they had collected.

“I’ll contact you when I found something,” Nathan said. Athos took out a card with his phone number. “I don’t need that,” Nathan said.

“And how are you going to contact me then?”  
“I’ll just hack my way in. Hate to say it, but your system isn’t all that good.”

********************************************

Constance stood in one of the smaller rooms next to the ballroom, where the donated auction items were stored. They had managed to collect quite a large number of objects and she was busy categorizing them according to their value. Each item was unpacked, photographed and repacked. Later a short description would be written, to be used for the auction catalogue together with the photos. She was just getting started on the items. 

The first object she looked at was an antique lapis lazuli clock with numerals of pure gold, valued at 20.000 Euros. The next one was a pair of diamond and ruby earrings. Very beautiful, but very heavy, which would make wearing them for any length of time rather uncomfortable. They would be put into special boxes. Three poured glass and rhinestone brooches were next, each valued at 400 Euros. They, too were very beautiful and Constance made a mental note of them. Maybe she would try to bid on one of them herself. Next she unpacked a small golden figurine of a camel, set with diamonds and precious stones. It was very valuable, but a little too kitschy for her taste.

A bronze teapot was very valuable due to its age, but who on Earth would really use something like that? Constance regarded it more like a decorative dust trap, but she hoped that the prospective buyers would think otherwise, since the proceeds from the auction would go to the galleries involved in the rash of break-ins. Carefully she wrapped the teapot in tissue paper, before packing it up again.

The next item was a pair of citrine, onyx and diamond earrings. Now these were absolutely gorgeous. Constance was writing the description for them when a servant entered. “Madame Bonancieux, a visitor is waiting in your apartment.”

“Oh? I’m not expecting anyone. Well, I’ll be there in a moment,” Constance said. The servant took a short bow and disappeared as unobtrusively as he had come. Constance saved her work and repacked the earrings, before she left the room and locked the door behind her. On her request, Treville had stationed a guard outside the room, since the objects were just too valuable to be left unguarded. She nodded to the guard and went to her apartment. 

She opened the door and there he was, standing in the middle of the anteroom. Her husband, Jacques Michel Bonancieux. Constance was frozen in place. He had his back to her, but turned around at the sound of the opening door. Now they were looking into each other’s eyes.

*****************************************

D’Artagnan had finished his training sessions for today. He had first worked on his skill with a handgun and then moved on to general fitness. Soaked with sweat, he left the basement and headed for the showers.

A refreshing shower revived his tired muscles. Once again dressed, hair still damp, he went to Constance’s apartment. He opened the door and found her standing in the anteroom in front of a tall, but somewhat flabby man. As D’Artagnan entered the room, the man turned to him. 

“Leave us alone,” he snarled. There were a couple of not exactly nice words on the tip of D’Artagnan’s tongue – who did that guy think he was, talking to him like that? And what the hell was he doing in Constance’s apartment anyway? – but before he could say one of them, Constance stepped in front of the man. “This is Jacques Michel Bonancieux. My husband,” she said.

D’Artagnan raised his eyebrows at the word “husband”. He had always wanted to meet the man who had made Constance’s life so hard. Out of love for her he restrained himself and just nodded coolly at the man. Bonancieux didn’t react at all. D’Artagnan was not surprised, he had already assumed that the man had no manners to speak of.

Constance turned around to her husband again. “Jacques, what are you doing here?” she asked, trying to stay polite despite her anger at him, and the shock of his sudden appearance. Bonancieux took a step closer to her. “You’re coming with me,” he ordered. 

Constance was unimpressed. She had been in similar situations too often. The last few years had made her strong. Strong and independent. “No, I won’t. I am a guest here and I haven an invitation. I want to stay, so I am staying.”

Bonancieux was unpleasantly surprised at her self-confidence. “I am your husband, your place is at my side,” he declared. 

“Behind you, you mean,” Constance answered sarcastically. “We’re in the middle of a divorce, it’s a little too late to play the husband card.”

“Fiddlesticks! I don’t want you to work for that slimeball Louis.” Bonancieux roughly grabbed her hand and Constance batted it away. “I am working for Anne, my friend. And I won’t allow you to insult her family like this.”

Now D’Artagnan decided to intervene. He had held back so far, because it was a matter between Constance and her husband, but now that Bonancieux was trying to force her, he had enough.

“Monsieur, I have to ask you to leave, before the situation escalates. I’m with Security and I will have you removed from the premises, if you can’t act civilly towards Madame Bonancieux here. And you’d do well to remember that you are in a chateau of King Louis, when you make derogatory remarks about him.”

Now, Jacques took a good look at D’Artagnan and realized that he had better not make this man angry. They might be about the same height, but D’Artagnan clearly had the physical advantage – and he had a gun on his belt. Bonancieux reluctantly decided that in this case retreat would be the better option.

Once the door had closed behind him, Constance and D’Artagnan went into the living room, where Constance dropped down on the sofa. The confrontation had come out of the blue and she had been unprepared. She hadn’t let it show during the discussion, but now D’Artagnan noticed how much of a toll it had taken on her. He sat down beside her and put his arm around her. Constance immediately snuggled against his chest, sniffling, and he soothingly rubbed her back. Constance didn’t say anything, she was just glad that he had been there and had thrown Bonancieux out at the end.

***********************************

Porthos and Aramis had returned from their unsuccessful assignment and changed back into their normal clothes. They were in the guardroom, when they both received a text message. 

Athos had found a hacker who had agreed to help them.  
“We’re working our butts off visiting the strangest cafés in Paris and talking to every little boy and he just goes and gets the job done,” Porthos joked. 

Aramis patted his friend’s shoulder. “You know how he is, nothing is done right unless he does it himself.”

Porthos laughed and headed for the showers. Aramis had other plans and unobtrusively disappeared.

******************************************

Anne was in her sitting room, talking on the phone, when the door opened and Aramis entered. She waved him over and ended the call.

“Hey, what are you doing?” Aramis asked.  
Anne snuggled against him. “Organizing the invitations and the guest list. We can’t have a ball without guests.”

“Mhm, who could resist an invitation from you?”   
“Apparently no one, everybody I invited has already accepted,” Anne answered.  
“I can understand them. Was that one of the guests on the phone?” Aramis asked, pointing to the cellphone.

“No, that was a lawyer for Constance’s divorce.”  
Aramis didn’t ask further. That was a matter between Anne and Constance. Or rather between Constance and her husband? Anyway, he didn’t want to be in D’Artagnan’s shoes right now. 

He looked at Anne again. “I’m so proud of you, how quickly you put this ball together and how you help Jeany. You’re a real angel.” Anne blushed at the compliment.

A knock on the door pulled them out of their little bubble. Aramis stood up from the sofa and retreated to the background. They weren’t officially together, after all.

“Yes, please?” Anne said. A guard entered. “You wanted to be notified when a Monsieur Bonancieux comes to the chateau. Well, he arrived about twenty minutes ago and has just left again,” the guard reported, before he left again.

Anne picked up the phone and dialed Constance’s number. Aramis was a little confused, but didn’t say anything.

“Constance? Are you okay?” 

 

Despite Constance’s reassurance, Anne was worried.  
“I promise you, by the end of the month your divorce will be final and everything will be alright.”

“Thanks, Anne. D’Artagnan has already had him barred, next time he won’t get in so easily.”


	17. Final preparations

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sooooo last preparations for the ball are in order. I hope you like this. It is a short chapter. Tell me, do you like Nathan, wanna read more about him? I fell in love with this character. We just have a connection, I hope you know what I mean. Also I’m posting pictures of the objects which are donated. I’m a little bit sad, cause the only comment I got was from my deariest Lady neve, she liked the flower brooch. But so I hope, there are more objects and now there are also more comments with your favorites.  
>   
> [saphirre diamant brooch](https://pin.it/zsoyngjn7mrcpp), [chanel cuff](https://pin.it/en5jgnii3arqlf), [chanel necklace](https://pin.it/v5742zu3stvqo3), [book scibbles tiffany](https://pin.it/yhknh53vagk4xt), [vase](https://pin.it/dcle4yrpwtd5a3), [manuscript Darwin](https://pin.it/gl5bft67wertqv), [ball room](https://pin.it/ekd7pdzdnztjsa)

The whole chateau was up and about early. Food was delivered, and the catering service set up shop in the kitchen. The servants carried boxes full of decorations in through the back entrance. The ballroom was thoroughly cleaned, every single ornament was polished, and every speck of dust removed. Later that morning the waiters arrived. For events like this they were hired externally, so they had to familiarize themselves with the location and received first instructions from their supervisors.

Anne and Constance were already awake as well, and were cataloguing the last few items, among them a diamond brooch with a large sapphire in the middle, valued at 25.000 Euro. Anne admired two Chanel items, a broad gold bracelet set with two rows of small rhinestones, and a matching necklace. 

“Oh wow, look at what someone donated!” Constance exclaimed, holding up an old book. At first, Anne didn’t see what was so special about it, but when she opened it and glanced inside, she recognized it. She checked the title on the cover to make sure, but the first few pages had already told her what it was. “An original book of archival drawings from Tiffany. I wonder how old this is,” she said. 

“Hard to say, but here, it comes with a certificate of authenticity,” Constance said. Like the other items, the book was photographed and described in a short text. 

Among other books, there was also an original Charles Darwin manuscript. Anne and Constance were in awe. Unfortunately, they were not really able to decipher the handwriting. 

Other items weren’t as valuable or unique, but very beautiful nevertheless. Like the blue porcelain vase that Anne was photographing at the moment. The hand-painted scenes on it made it an object that would be sure to attract bidders.

As they were working, Anne cautiously mentioned last night’s visitor. “How are you today?” “Oh, Anne, don’t worry. I didn’t think he’d come, but I had to live with him for the longest time.”

Anne nodded. “That’s right. I spoke with the lawyers and they’ll make the divorce their top priority.” “That’s very nice of you, thanks for your support. Really, most people wouldn’t be so understanding.”

Anne shook her head at that thought. “You’ve always been at my side, it’s nice that I can do something for you for a change. And now, let’s concentrate on the ball and the charity auction, that should be a good distraction.”

********************************************

Jeany hadn’t quite gotten used to living at the chateau yet. There were servants everywhere. They cleaned and tidied the rooms, brought her food, even washed her clothes. As an independent woman, Jeany wasn’t used to that. Athos came through the door. She had asked him to fetch some more things from her rooms at the gallery. While she put them away, Athos sat on the sofa and watched her. “How are you?” he asked.

“Much better,” Jeany answered. “I was really able to relax here and it feels good to work on this project with the girls. I’m glad that so many people are willing to help.” “With you three working on it and asking people for help, I don’t doubt it. With your charme…” Athos said, grinning.

Jeany smiled and continued putting her things away. “If you say so. The other gallery owners are glad as well, and thankful for all the support. Some of the local people have also volunteered to help with rebuilding and painting.” Athos went over to her and embraced her from behind, burying his face in her hair, which she wore open today. She turned around in his arms and they exchanged a passionate kiss.

“Did I miss the official memo that we’re together?” Jeany asked impishly, between kisses. 

Athos pretended not to hear her and kissed her neck instead. “Who will accompany you tonight?” he wondered. “Mhmm, my boyfriend, I hope.” Athos grinned and together they fell onto the bed, laughing. “I’m afraid your boyfriend won’t be able to come, he has to work tonight.” “That’s too bad,” Jeany said, before their desire for each other took over again.

****************************************************

Nathan stood at the entrance gate of the chateau. The security guards, the dogs and the reinforced metal fences as well as the high stone walls hinted at what kind of fortress could be found behind the gate, and at the importance of the person living there. His trained eye automatically identified a couple of weak points. It wouldn’t be too difficult to hack into the cameras, the opening mechanism for the gate, and the motion sensors. There was definitely enough for him to work on, and a lot of potential to prove his worth. The guard had already announced his arrival and a few minutes later Nathan saw someone approach the gate from the inside. It was Marc. The young hacker was a little disappointed. He had hoped that Athos would be the one to meet him. He really wanted this job. Marc was his friend and he liked spending time with him, but right now it was important to prove himself to the people who really mattered around here. 

“Hey, great that you’re here already! Athos hadn’t expected results so quickly. Come, I’ll take you into the holy halls,” Marc said, shaking his hand in greeting, before he asked the guard to issue a visitor pass for Nathan. As they walked along the dusty gravel path, Nathan thought that maybe it wasn’t so bad that Athos hadn’t been there to meet him, he would have enough opportunities to show his mettle.

“Pretty big, huh?” Marc asked, recognizing the same look on the face of his friend that he himself had had, when he had entered the chateau for the first time. “Mhmm, a lot of space for one person,” Nathan answered, thinking of his own apartment, which had a meagre 50 square meters. 

“Well, there’s a lot of servants and business employees; there are always guests, like the cousin and her assistant, and then there’s us. We have taken over pretty much the whole basement.” That didn’t quite manage to convince Nathan, but hey, Louis was a man you’d better not get angry. And he was definitely a better employer than the Red Guard or some other aristocrats. 

Marc led him along the corridors and Nathan realized how easy it was to get lost here.  
“Here we are,” Mark said, stopping in front of a double door. “That’s the guard room. It’s kind of a command center, break room and meeting room all in one.” He indicated a chair at one of the tables and sat down in the one beside it. “So, did you find anything? Of course you did or you wouldn’t be here,” Marc said, laughing shyly. 

Dear Marc, that was just the way he was. Nathan took the chair and answered Marc’s question. “Yes, of course I found something. It was difficult, but not impossible. I hope you understand that I would like to report it to Athos first.”

Marc smiled. He had been the same, when he had started the job, so he understood better than the others. Better than that Vincent guy. He took out his cellphone and called Athos. The man picked up after the third ring. Even Nathan could hear how grumpy he sounded. 

************************************

At noon it was time to get not only the auction items and the ballroom ready for the evening, but themselves as well. Anne and Constance had met in Anne’s rooms to get ready for the ball, doing their hair and applying their makeup. Anne was just powdering her nose when a servant nocked on the door, so Constance went to open it. The servant carried three voluminous garment bags. “Madame, your gowns and masks have arrived,” he explained, handing Constance the bags. Then he retreated again and Constance closed the door. 

“Anne, our costumes are here! Oh, there’s Jeany’s as well. I’ll just take them over to her!” she called out. “Okay! Ask her if she needs any help,” Anne replied. Constance left with the third garment bag.

She knocked on Jeany’s door and went right in. They had become good enough friends by now for that. She found Jeany on the sofa, talking on the phone, so she sat down beside her, waiting quietly.

A few minutes later, Jeany ended the call. “Constance, now nice. What can I do for you?” she asked. “I brought your costume, it was delivered together with ours.”

Jeany was reaching for her dress, when Constance asked, “Was that Athos I just saw coming out of your room?” “Mhm?” Jeany pretended not to hear the question and admired her gown instead.

“Athos?” Constance tried again. “Oh, yes, he was just here.” “Ah, is there something going on between the two of you?”

“Mhmmm…maybe….” Jeany said, grinning. “I’m happy for you. Really, he seems like a good man,” Constance said.

********************************

Athos came into the guard room, where Marc and Nathan were waiting for him. A few of the other men had arrived by now as well. He went over to the two young men. “Nathan, I didn’t expect you so soon,” he said. Truth be told, he had no idea how long it would take to do whatever Nathan had done – and how he had done it – but that speed was impressive. 

“I’m fast and efficient. And now I would like to show you what I found. May I?” Nathan asked, pointing to a couple of connecting cables. Athos nodded and sat down. Nathan hooked up his laptop and opened a couple of programs, then he pointed out a few lines of code. To the untrained eye, they consisted of a jumble of letters and numbers, but apparently they meant something to Nathan. “Here, I found a specific code within the hack. It’s like a signature.” 

Athos looked at the screen, but he couldn’t quite grasp the significance of this information. Nathan continued. “Hackers leave a signature inside every hack. They are often show-offs, they want others to know that they did this.” Marc grinned at that last sentence. Oh yes, he knew about show-offs. His friend Nathan could be one at times, too.

“So you know whose work it was, then?” Athos asked, wanting to make sure he had understood correctly. “Yes, I do,” Nathan confirmed. 

At that moment, Porthos came blundering through the door, carrying four black garment bags in his right hand. “Athos, I took the liberty of picking up our suits. In my well-deserved time off, I might add.” Athos nodded and turned back to Nathan. Porthos hung up the bags, listening with half an ear. “It was a rather famous hacker, you can tell by the number of codes he used. His name is Mathis Roux.”

*********************************

Treville had assembled every on-duty man in the ballroom for instructions. Like the waiters, the guards had to know their posts and assignments. “I want the outside area guarded, with the dogs patrolling all evening. The gates will remain closed and all guest will go through a security check, no matter how important they are. We can’t risk another breach.”

Rather than being daunted, the men took his speech as encouragement to do their best. 

“There will be ten men in the ballroom itself at all times. These men have already been selected, they will dress appropriately and mingle with the guests. We’ll be there to protect, but unobtrusively. We don’t want the guests to feel uncomfortable.” The men nodded. “The guards in the corridors will be doubled, especially around the apartments of the king and the queen. No one will slip through our fingers tonight. Since we’ll have all hands on deck tonight, let me add a few words for our new recruits.”

The men listened attentively. “Tonight you will have the opportunity to show what you have learned. We need every man, newbies as well as old hands. Show us what you’re made of and you will be rewarded.” Treville’s words made an impression. A lot of the younger men were whispering among themselves, eager to make use of the opportunity offered. Treville was proud of the new recruits and most of all of the positive results of D’Artagnan’s training. “And don’t forget: polite friendliness towards the guests is of the utmost importance.”

*****************************************

Aramis came into the guard room and took in the scene in front of him. Marc and an unfamiliar young man were sitting at one of the tables, with Athos across from them and Porthos standing behind him. “Athos, Porthos, we should get changed. Treville is already giving instructions to the others,” he told them. 

Porthos ignored it for the moment. “We found the missing connection,” he said. “Mathis, the hacker from the café. He was the one who switched off the cameras. We practically had him already.” Aramis slammed his fist on the table. They had been so close. If only they had known sooner….

“Aramis, calm down. We’ll get him tomorrow. He won’t get away, he doesn’t know that we’re on to him. Tonight we’ll concentrate of getting through the ball.”

**********************************************

Fully dressed, Jeany joined Anne and Constance in Anne’s rooms, where the two women were already perfectly styled and putting on their masks. “Oh, you look gorgeous! People will want to bid on you instead of the dusty old auction items,” Jeany exclaimed, which mad all three of them laugh.

“Jeany, my God, your dress, it’s unbelievable! So beautiful…and the mask…..Wow, absolutely stunning.” Jeany blushed at Constance’s words. She wasn’t used to compliments. “Shall we go to the ballroom together? I can’t wait to see how it looks,” Anne said. The other two nodded and followed her.

***********************************

The enormous room, which was usually too empty for Anne’s taste, had been prepared according to Constance’s instructions. The inlaid wooden floor gleamed and the walls were practically glowing. The windows were covered by thin curtains and a large number of candles placed around the room created a beautiful atmosphere. The chandeliers were lit to provide enough light for the auction and would later be dimmed to add to the ethereal atmosphere. 

The back end of the room had been left more or less empty, to be used as a dance floor. A small stage for a classical quartet and later for the DJ was just being finished and along the sides of the room long tables had been set up between the windows, so that guests could set down their glasses. The buffet would be placed there as well, so servants wouldn’t have to pass through the crowds with trays of drinks and finger food. Especially during the auction or later during the dancing that would have been too disruptive.

On the opposite side of the room, where the fireplace was, two blocks of chairs with an aisle in the middle had been set up in front of a raised stage with a lectern and a presentation table. On both sides of the stage, large screens would show pictures of the auction items. At the entrance, each bidder would receive a numbered panel.

The whole room was draped in gauzy silk panels and matching floral arrangements had been placed in the corners to provide a romantic touch to the atmosphere, that would hopefully transport the guests to another time and space. 

************************************

Athos, Aramis and Porthos were still gathered around the table with Marc and Nathan, when D’Artagnan and Henry came in. “D’Artagnan, go and get changed,” Porthos ordered immediately. 

“Because you three obviously already did so…” D’Artagnan answered waspishly, with a pointed look at his colleagues, who were still in their street clothes. “Henry found out something,” he continued, gently pushing Henry forward. 

Henry looked into the expectant faces of three very imposing men and shyly spoke. “The Red Guard is about to recruit a hacker.” Athos was about to turn away to finally get changed. “So what’s that got to do with us?” he asked.

“Athos, let him finish,” D’Artagnan said, encouraging Henry to continue. “The Guard accept only the best, that’s why they want someone who’s currently working for Savoy.” “And do you know his name?” Aramis asked, curious.

“Mathis Roux.”

XX


	18. A mysterious evening

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> WOW, now it’s finally here. The great chapter about the masquerade ball. Im so excited for your comments. But first I wanna thank all the guest who left a kudo. Can’t say your name, but please it’s really appreciated. 
> 
> Now, Just a big thing. Look in the links I'm posting. You won’t be disappointed, trust me. Because this time, it would be a waste if you don’t see the beautiful outfits from Anne, Constance and the boys. So just take two minutes and check it out. 
> 
> [Anne Dress](https://pin.it/y2xfkzkd6mjdvs)   
>  [Anne Masque](https://pin.it/xl6mujug4a6vn3)   
>  [Constance dress](https://pin.it/7tgkh63h5mqhwt)   
>  [Constance Masque](https://www.pinterest.de/pin/169166529738270732/)   
>  [Jeany Dress](https://pin.it/eu3e4rqv6mmx2q)   
>  [Jeany Masque](https://pin.it/qdacuj5gkhu7yl)   
>  [Athos suit](https://pin.it/yv5oucpz454ngd)   
>  [Athos Masque](https://pin.it/amnoyrzrafn3ck)   
>  [Aramis suit](https://pin.it/x6f3t6uf3ctqus)   
>  [Aramis Masque](https://pin.it/f7xpm5l4rykqj3)   
>  [D'artagnan suit](https://pin.it/kyxerazuek6dcw)   
>  [D'artagnan Masque](https://pin.it/zskmndugvrhmfg)

Anne stood at the top of the staircase, personally greeting each guest and thanking them for their support. It was very important for her to do that and Aramis admired her for it. She had been standing there for close to an hour now and she was still smiling. She wasn’t even fidgeting. No, she stood there like a queen, poised and polite, but also approachable, exchanging a few personal words with everybody, asking about their family, well-being or pets. Aramis had been doing a final check of the grounds, when he had seen her. It was hard not to notice a beauty like her, in a long, flowing, strapless dress with a sweetheart neckline that showed off her cleavage, and a flared skirt, consisting of one layer of finest silk and two layers of gauzy chiffon in a pale champagne color. 

The bodice was entirely covered with black lace and the skirt was decorated here and there with black lace ornaments. A subtle makeup, jewelry matching her dress and strappy high-heeled sandals completed the outfit. Aramis wondered, if she would be able to dance in these shoes. Her mask was rose-gold metal and resembled finely wrought feathers. The slanted eye slits gave her a unique and mysterious look.

Aramis moved like a shadow until he was right behind her. Anne was still greeting guests, although the number of new arrivals had dwindled, since the auction would start shortly. In the short time before the next guest approached, he whispered into her ear, “I would recognize you even with the mask. Your beauty takes my breath away.”

Anne blushed, but thankfully the mask helped to conceal it. One of the guests took the kiss on the hand a little too literally and Aramis stepped closer to her side, looking intimidating in his suit and mask. The guest promptly released Anne’s hand. She turned to Aramis and nodded briefly in thanks, taking the opportunity to quickly look him over. He wore a navy blue three-piece suit with a white shirt, a blue, perfectly tied bow-tie and a white pocket handkerchief. His mask was the same blue as his suit, with pale beige ornaments. The right half covered that side of his face completely, while the left half consisted of a small band across the forehead, emphasizing his intense, dark eyes. The shape of the mask reminded Anne a little of the Phantom of the Opera. 

******************************************

Constance stood at the edge of the ballroom, giving the servants and the hired waiters last-minute instructions to make sure that the guests’ drinks were promptly refilled, as well as the finger-food trays. She released them when she saw D’Artagnan approach. He looked especially handsome today in a simple, slim-fitting black suit with a white shirt and a black bow tie. The mask he had chosen was rather unique – a black and white domino mask reminiscent of Mexican Dios de Los Muertos masks. 

“Constance, you look much too beautiful tonight. If we were living in another time, I’d have to lock you away,” he teased her.

Constance laughed and lightly slapped his arm. “As if you could…”

D’Artagnan easily evaded her mock-attack. “I missed your laugh. But seriously, forget about the locking away part, you look absolutely stunning,” he said. Her royal blue dress with very short lace sleeves, that perfectly set off her shoulders and her cleavage above the sweetheart neckline. The skirt was full and flared, one layer floor-length, covered by a second, shorter one that resembled an ocean wave. Her domino mask was pale blue, the upper end decorated with turquoise and white flowers.

*************************************

Jeany stood at the auction stage, speaking with the auctioneer about the valuable items. When she noticed Athos from the corner of her eye, she politely excused herself and went over to him. He was a man who kept his life and his clothes simple, so for tonight he had chosen a dark shirt beneath a dark blue suit. The only thing slightly out of the ordinary were his shoes. 

Instead of patent leather dress shoes he had chosen tasseled loafers matching the color of his shirt. His black domino mask had a line of blue wavelike ornaments beneath the eye slits. The costume made him look even more dangerous than usual and Jeany felt herself drawn to his aura. Oh, that man…..

Athos lightly kissed her cheek. “From the look of you ladies, I wonder what exactly will be auctioned off tonight,” he said.

“Well, we girls have to compete somehow with all the beautiful artwork up for auction,” Jeany answered.

“You don’t have to compete with anything, you’re the most beautiful woman here,” he said, taking a good look at her. Even though her dress was not as full as Anne’s and Constance’s, it was just as elaborate. A floor-length, sleeveless A-line with a deep v-neckline. The top was covered in a colorful print of exotic flowers, which petered out about half-way down the skirt. 

Her mask was in the Venetian style, with sequins in green, gold and purple. Peacock feathers ran along the top of the mask, giving her the look of a bird of paradise.

************************************

Once the last arriving guest had been greeted, Anne went inside. Aramis followed her like a shadow. A lot of people had admired her in her dress and he wanted to make sure they kept a respectful distance. Purely for security reasons of course.

The ballroom was already well filled, with people standing together in small groups, talking and drinking champagne. They all seemed to enjoy themselves. Anne found Louis in a group of his business partners and greeted him. “Louis, how nice. I’m so glad that you could come. 

How do you like it so far?”

“Ah, Anne, you’re a true artist. I just told Treville, if anyone can organize a ball in such a short time, it’s my cousin. Really very nice. Maybe I’ll even buy one of the items myself.” Once again, Louis was in his element. He talked as if he loved everybody, but in reality he didn’t care about most of the people, and Anne doubted that he would really bid on anything   
“It’s nice of you to say that, but Constance and Jeany were a big help. I couldn’t have done it without them.”

“As I say, what would we be without our employees?”

Anne wanted to argue – Constance and Jeany weren’t her employees – but Louis had already turned to another guest.

Aramis joined Treville, who was, as usual, standing close to Louis and keeping an eye on him. “Anything new?” Treville asked quietly.

Not wanting their words to be overheard, Aramis kept his voice equally low. “The hacker we’re looking for might be working for Savoy.”

“For Savoy?”

“Possibly. Some evidence is pointing to it,” Aramis confirmed.  
“What kind of evidence?”

“Thanks to outside support, we found out that the person who hacked into our systems is a man named Mathis Roux. Through Henry, our contact within the Red Guard, we learned that Mathis is working for Savoy.”

***********************************

After the four musketeers had changed into evening wear and left for the ball, Marc, Henry and Nathan made themselves at home in the guard room.

“So, who are you?” Nathan asked Henry.

“I’m Henry. I only recently started to work for the king.”

Marc grinned. “Yes, a defector.” His words clearly made Henry uncomfortable, but then Marc and Nathan started to laugh good-naturedly. “Hey, we’re just joking. I’m Nathan, hopefully soon another newbie.” Nathan and Henry shook hands.

Now Henry was laughing as well. He had immediately liked Nathan. He hadn’t really had much to do with Marc before, but the young man didn’t seem to be one of those recruits who thought they were better than the others. 

“Nathan, how did you come to be here?” Henry asked. Apparently Marc and Nathan knew each other, but Henry was curious.

“Well, I always wanted to work for the king, but I don’t have a head for business.”

“At least not that kind of business,” Marc interjected. 

“Yes. Anyway, I was supposed to join the military. Everyone else here has prior military training. Unfortunately, I didn’t pass the entrance exam, so I couldn’t get in the same way Marc here did.” Nathan patted his friend’s chest. “However, it looks like now they need someone with my abilities.”

“Abilities?” Henry asked.

“Computers, networks, hacking….I’m pretty good with those.”

Now Henry understood and was suitably impressed.

“How about you? How did you become a ‘traitor’?” Nathan asked.

“Well, I work for the Red Guard, but I never liked it. Then they killed one of my best friends and the other one is now in prison for it. The musketeers offered me a chance to work for them instead.” 

After that story, the three fell silent for a moment.

“Say, Marc, is that Vincent guy always like that?” Henry asked, changing the topic. He had run into the man in the corridors and the changing room and hadn’t really liked it each time. 

“Yes, Vincent is an ass. Very big mouth, but nothing behind it. His family is career military and his father was working for the king in one of the branch offices, so he has an inflated ego. I often clash with him, because he always makes fun of me.”

Nathan felt sorry for him. Marc was usually popular, most everyone liked him because of his easy-going nature. Vincent seemed to be a rare exception. “Do such incredible balls happen here often? With all the gowns and masks and all that?” he asked casually.

“More often than you think,” Marc answered.

*****************************************

Louis considered it time to formally open the event, so he waved Anne over and she joined him immediately. A butler clinked glasses and the room fell silent as Louis began to speak.

“I welcome you, my dear friends, here in the magnificent ballroom of Chateau Fontainebleau. 

A wonderful evening lies before us and I won’t keep you from eating and drinking at my expense for long, but I would like to take this opportunity to thank my cousin Anne. This marvelous event is thanks to her. However, we are not only here to enjoy ourselves, we want to do some good as well.”

Anne took a step forward. “Thank you, Louis. Ladies and Gentlemen, I welcome you as well. And on behalf of the gallery owners afflicted by the break-ins and vandalism I would like you for your donations. This will help us to ensure that the art business can continue to be supported and will not become a victim of uncivilized crime.” She turned towards the stage. “And now for the main event of the evening. I declare the auction officially open.”

All of the guests took their places, the lights in the room were dimmed slightly and the stage was illuminated. Images of the auction items were projected onto the screens beside the stage. The auctioneer took his place behind the lectern.

“Ladies and Gentlemen, welcome. We will start with the first lot, a truly unique piece of incredible value: an original manuscript by Charles Darwin. Bidding will begin at 95.000€.”  
The manuscript, the Tiffany sketchbook and the diamond brooch, along with some other items, went for a total of over 200.000€. Constance went into the back room to bring out the next items; the vas and the Chanel jewelry set. She was very careful with the vase, since it was rather large and heavy, putting it down again, so that she could check the necklace one more time and place it into a display case. 

Suddenly a large hand landed on her shoulder and turned her around so roughly that she had to take a step or two backwards so as not to lose her balance.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Soooo, this is a big cliffhanger, but I wanna also know, what do you think about the chapter and the outfits, you hopefully checked. See you all in the comments.


	19. An eventful evening

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey Ho, dear readers, how are you ? Today is chapter 19 in the row. I hope you all like it. Also you all gotta know what will happen with our dear constance. Also, the outfits of Louis and Savoy will be with pictures, check them out.   
> [Louis suit](https://pin.it/prqirve6pqqrbb)  
> [Louis Masque](https://pin.it/thl2qaykck4wtn)  
> [Savoy suit](https://pin.it/mzzoweu3v2zsie)  
> [Savoy masque](https://pin.it/5f3llzodtxkxva)

Last time in chapter 18:

Constance went into the back room to bring out the next items; the vas and the Chanel jewelry set. She was very careful with the vase, since it was rather large and heavy, putting it down again, so that she could check the necklace one more time and place it into a display case. 

Suddenly a large hand landed on her shoulder and turned her around so roughly that she had to take a step or two backwards so as not to lose her balance. 

**********************

However, the hand on her shoulder stayed where it was, so that she couldn’t get away from the man standing in front of her. Two brown eyes practically radiating hatred were looking at her. The intensity of that look frightened her and she tried to shake of the restraining hand. Unfortunately, it had the opposite effect. The fingers tightened until the grip became acutely painful. Constance flinched, her shoulder dropping down in an attempt to lessen the pressure.

“Jacques, what are you doing here?” she asked, terrified. Bonancieux just kept looking at her. He had dressed up for the occasion and Constance noticed the similarity of his suit to the uniform of the hired waiters. So that’s how he had gotten in undetected. 

“Jacques, you’ve been banned from the premises, you can’t be here!” Constance warned him. She had absolutely no desire to see him again, and if one of the security guards found him, it could have serious consequences for him. She might be divorcing him, but she didn’t want him to be seriously hurt or even killed. 

Fed up with her rebellious behavior, Jacques didn’t recognize the concern in her voice. He wanted an obedient, submissive wife, not one who resisted him time and time again. He slapped her face so hard that her head whipped to the side. Strands of hair came loose out of her hairdo and fell into her face. Luckily, her mask sat high enough on the face that he didn’t catch it, but there was a dull, throbbing pain in her cheek and she could taste a spot of blood on her lip. Constance was shocked speechless by his attack. How dare he hit her?!

“Nobody bans me from anywhere. Least of all that no-good wannabe Rambo. Are you spreading your legs for him, too? You ungrateful whore, how could you do that to me? Have you ever thought about what it means for me, if I come back without a wife at my side? You   
and that low-life bodyguard, what were you thinking? What will the people say about us? 

They’ll turn away from you! You’ll land in the gutter, without an education or a job. That criminal family you’re living with won’t keep you forever. I’ll see to it that no one else will take you. And your family will hear about your prostitution!” Bonancieux ranted, working himself up into a frenzy. Again and again he insulted her as a village slut and hurling a barrage of verbal abuse at her. When he stopped for air for a moment, Constance took her chance, whipped around and ran out of the room. Taken completely by surprise by her abrupt flight, Bonancieux stood in the middle of the room, staring at the door through which she had disappeared.

**********************************

Anne stood to one side of the auction and watched the bidders. She was glad, that the guests were bidding enthusiastically and even went above the market value for some pieces, showing their goodwill and charity. She was especially happy for Jeany. 

“Ah, Anne, the hostess herself.” Anne turned around to find Victor, Duke of Savoy, standing before her. She didn’t really like him, but he had married into the family, so she stayed polite. “May I congratulate you to this successful event?” he said.

“Thank you, but it was not only me, I had a lot of help. And the real benefactors are the bidders at the auction,” Anne answered.

*****************************************

Aramis had kept his eyes on Anne the whole time and had seen Savoy approach her. Her body language told him just how much she wanted to escape the conversation, so he came to her rescue and stood beside her. Savoy didn’t recognize the masked man, who had stepped close to Anne. At that moment the auction ended and the guests moved to the dance floor.

“Madame, may I have this dance?” Aramis asked with a short bow.

“Of course. Victor, you’ll excuse me, please?” Anne said. Savoy made an expansive gesture and Aramis led Anne onto the dance floor as the quartet began to play a light waltz. Anne and Aramis joined the dancing couples.

“Thanks,” Anne whispered. 

“At a ball like this, I consider it my duty to rescue a damsel in distress,” Aramis answered jokingly. They danced together for a long time, gazing into each other’s eyes, although they had to be careful not to draw too much attention. Aramis was a very good dancer, leading Anne so gracefully that they didn’t bump into any of the other couples on the crowded dance floor.

********************************************************

Savoy was still standing on the sideline, watching Anne and the unfamiliar man who had so rudely interrupted their conversation. He wanted to know who that man was and if he would pose a risk to his plans.

“Monsieur.” Adrian Combelle leaned against a pillar close to the duke. 

“Could you be any more conspicuous, you idiot?” Savoy hissed. Adrian rolled his eyes behind his mask. It was a masquerade ball, no one would notice them. 

“Do you have new information for me?” Savoy asked.

“No, not really, but I know that this ball was not Louis’ idea,” Adrian answered, looking around inconspicuously. 

“I already thought so. Louis is nothing without his cousin.”

**********************************************

Treville still stood close to Louis. Aramis had returned to his post. Treville didn’t have to check on his men, everyone was doing exactly what was expected of them. For tonight he was dressed very unobtrusively, so it was easy for him to blend into the shadows and watch everyone and everything. Like the situation unfolding across the room from him. Savoy was standing beside a young man. On second glance, Treville recognized him as Adrian Combelle. 

Louis’ personal assistant was talking to the Duke of Savoy. Louis himself was not all too fond of the duke, and Treville wondered how amiable they looked, standing side by side and apparently discussing something. They seemed rather secretive, as if they didn’t want anyone to notice them talking to each other. Treville made a mental note to look more closely into Adrian later. His instinct told him that something was wrong here.

***************************************

Athos caught Jeany when she returned from the dance floor. He had watched as every unmarried man had asked her for a dance. 

“Oh Athos, such a wonderful ball, isn’t it? And the auction….so many people have bid. Simply marvelous. I’m glad that our idea was so successful,” Jeany said enthusiastically.

“I wonder how you managed to notice with all the dancing you did,” Athos said.

“Athos, are you jealous?” Jeany asked. “If you want to dance with me, all you have to do is ask.” She grinned at him impishly.

Athos briefly turned away and then back to her. “Well, Madame, I would love to, but unfortunately I’m still working.” From the corner of his eye he noticed Porthos winking at him.   
Athos took Jeany’s arm and gently pulled her outside onto the terrace. It was already dark, but it was a mild summer night and Jeany was slightly overheated from dancing anyway. “May I have this dance?” he asked, holding out his hand to her. Jeany looked at him in surprise. “I thought you still had to work?”

“Yes, in there I have to, but according to labor law I’m probably long overdue for a break.” 

Jeany understood and put her hand in his. They started dancing cheek to cheek, even though they could barely hear the music. They were swaying to their own beat. The garden below them was dimly lit and the whole scene could have come out of a romantic movie. Jeany snuggled close to Athos and he wrapped his arms around her protectively. They simply enjoyed this quiet moment together, so caught up in their own little world that they didn’t notice anything that happened in the ballroom.

********************************

Louis talked to a lot of guests. A number of his business partners had come, as well as some people he wanted as future partners, so he had to make a good impression, even though he had other plans. His costume was, as usual, out of the ordinary. A red cutaway with black buttons, cuffs and collar, a white shirt and a dark grey vest with a black cravat. Old-fashioned beige riding breeches and knee-high dark brown riding boots completed the outfit. His mask was eggshell white and gave the impression of being cracked, with golden ornaments at the top and bottom. All in all it looked like something a Roman emperor might wear. 

When he turned away from the last person he had been talking to, Savoy approached him. His outfit was a complete contrast to that of Louis; a simple black suit, a black shirt and a grey tie with a platinum tie clip. His dress shoes were black as well, while his mask was dark grey, spiky metal with raised lines, that resembled a suit of armor. The whole costume enhanced the dark aura that seemed to surround him. 

Louis noticed Savoy and looked for a way out. He didn’t want to deal with his brother-in-law tonight, when there were more than enough other people to talk to. Unfortunately, Savoy seemed determined to talk to him and wasn’t put off by Louis’ defensive behavior.

“Louis, so nice of you to thank your cousin. After all, you have much more to thank her for than just this little party.”

“Victor, I don’t know what you mean.” Louis pretended not to know what Savoy was talking about, and he didn’t want to understand it either. He was just looking for a way to end this conversation.

“Well, she’s also your CFO. You should always look out for your employees, especially one who keeps pulling the chestnuts out of the fire for you.”

Now Louis grew suspicious. “What do you mean, look out for her? Are you threatening her?” he asked, his voice getting louder.

“No, I’m just giving you some well-meaning advice. You know, as a brother-in-law. After all, my CEO disappeared just like that, too, after all. People do disappear, CEO, CFO….”

Louis became aggressive, grabbing Savoy’s lapels and pulling him close. However, since Savoy exercised a lot and regularly worked out with his personal trainer, he clearly outmatched Louis. His greater height and build were an additional advantage, so he just pushed Louis back. Unprepared for a move like that, Louis stumbled back and roughly landed on the floor. Immediately, Porthos and some of the security guards hurried over and placed themselves protectively in front of Louis. Treville came from the side and tried to help the king up. 

“Get him out of my sight!” Louis ordered, angrily pushing away Treville’s offered hand. Porthos accompanied Savoy outside. Luckily, the duke was cooperating and let himself be led off without resistance, not exchanging another word with his brother-in-law.

*****************************************

Just like Athos, D’Artagnan noticed nothing of this confrontation. He was looking for Constance, who should have been back in the ballroom some time ago. In the corridor he met Bonancieux. The man had a confused look on his face and kept his eyes on the floor. 

D’Artagnan stopped him. “Hey, you’re not allowed to be here. I have to ask you to leave the   
premises immediately.”

Bonancieux raised his head. He hadn’t expected to run into D’Artagnan, but now he saw his chance to reclaim his honor. “Who the hell do you think you are?” he growled, trying to hit D’Artagnan in the face with his fist. D’Artagnan easily evaded the punches, which only served to make Jacques more aggressive, and he started to kick out as well. Unfortunately, he wasn’t a good fighter, lacking the skill and stamina to even halfway hold his own against an opponent like D’Artagnan. Two guards, who were stationed in the corridors, approached, when they saw one of their own being attacked, but they quickly realized that their colleague wasn’t in danger. D’Artagnan waved them over anyway and they grabbed Bonancieux’s arms to immobilize him. The man didn’t have the strength to fight any longer anyway. 

“Take him outside and make sure that he doesn’t set foot on the grounds again. He has been banned, he shouldn’t even be here in the first place,” D’Artagnan ordered. The guards nodded and headed for the exit, keeping Bonancieux pinned between them. “Best to put him in a taxi and make sure he goes back to Paris,” D’Artagnan called after them.

*************************************************

Louis was still standing in the middle of the room, together with Treville. His little altercation with Savoy had drawn all eyes to them, but now the guests turned back to the music or their conversations. Louis on the other hand hadn’t forgotten the situation quite so quickly. He was still angry and no longer in the mood for shallow chit-chat, so he stormed out of the ballroom and headed for his rooms, followed by Treville. Once he was some distance away from the ballroom, he started yelling. “Treville, take care of him. I don’t want to see him here again and I want him out of Paris as well. Most of all I want answers. I want to know what he knows and I want to be the first to know.” Louis was panting, out of breath from his rant against Savoy and the speed at which he walked. Treville, who was slightly behind him, was still in good shape.

“I want to know what he thinks, before he thinks it. Oh….” Louis turned around abruptly and Treville had to be careful not to run into him. “Treville, we are going to attack Savoy now. He doesn’t get to threaten me, oh no, not he. We’ll hit him first. Oh yes, we will.”

Treville tried to be diplomatic and calm Louis down. “Sire, I advise against it. I know that you’re angry and that he affronted you, but he’s still the husband of your beloved sister. For her sake you should try to talk to Savoy and find common ground.”

Louis made a dismissive gesture and rolled his eyes. “Treville, you have to fight! Have you gotten so old that you have lost your bite?” With these words Louis disappeared into his rooms. Treville didn’t take his words to heart, he had heard far worse from the man when he was in a rage. He made sure once again that the corridors and the rooms were safe, then he went back to the ball.

*********************************

When Aramis had danced with Anne long enough, he pulled her into the corridor through one of the side doors. 

“Aramis, I can’t leave now. I need to mingle, after all I am the hostess of his ball. I have to say goodbye and thank the auctioneer,” Anne protested.

Aramis didn’t want to hear this, leading her further towards her rooms instead. “Nonsense, everybody knows, that one always leaves the party first. And I’m thinking of something much more enjoyable,” he said seductively. His voice was so rough and dark that Anne couldn’t help but follow him. When they arrived at her door, he pulled her into his arms and kissed her passionately. She kissed him back, pushing him against the door in her eagerness. Aramis was so caught up in her presence that it took him several tries to push down the door handle behind his back, before they stumbled into the room. Somehow they managed the short distance to her bedroom without breaking the kiss. In the bedroom, Aramis carefully removed Anne’s mask and looked deep into her eyes. Anne returned the favor, removing Aramis’ mask as well. She couldn’t resist kissing him again, this time slowly and sensuously, trying to express with her lips all the feelings for him in her heart, that words were unable to describe. 

It didn’t take long for passion to gain the upper hand again. She hastily removed his bow tie and drop to the floor. Aramis unzipped her dress and gently pushed it down. Anne removed his jacket and opened the buttons of his shirt.

************************************************

After the encounter with Constance’s husband, D’Artagnan immediately hurried to the back room where the auction items were kept. He had to see her to make sure she was alright. Luckily, he found her packing the sold-items in transport boxes.

“Constance?”  
She turned around at the sound of her name. The voice alone had already told her that it was D’Artagnan behind her and not her husband. He took a look at her face and gently turned it into the light to check out the small split in her lip. Constance felt visibly uncomfortable and tried to turn away again. 

“Who did that? Tell me his name!” D’Artagnan asked angrily, hissing through clenched teeth. Constance didn’t answer, her eyes downcast.

“I’ll kill him!” D’Artagnan had immediately realized that only her husband would have dared to treat her like that. Constance stopped him before he could actually go after Bonancieux and give him a taste of his own medicine. “No, please, he can’t hurt me ever again. Please don’t!” 

She snuggled against him, making it impossible for him to leave.

D’Artagnan gave in and put his arms around her, letting his chin rest on the top of her head, and breathing in her wonderful scent. He still felt the urge to show her husband the proper way to treat a lady, but if Constance needed him right now, he would be there for her. He was pretty sure that there would be another opportunity to get back at Bonancieux. When Constance noticed that D’Artagnan had given up on trying to leave, she stretched up and their lips met in a romantic kiss.


	20. New help

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey Ho, here in Germany it’s so hot. Too hot to work, but I’m uploading the next chapter, extra for you guys. Following are the links for the outfits and the fitness room  
> [fitness room](https://pin.it/cicf7pajwwbmju), [Constance outfit](https://pin.it/5wb3sicdvpssdw), [Anne Outfit](https://pin.it/zuyba3nyw5frxq)

One of the innumerable church clocks in Paris struck two o’clock, when Bonancieux was on his way home in the taxi that had been called for him. He sat in the shabby backseat and the driver, a grumpy Parisian, stared straight ahead at the road. Bonancieux took a big gulp from the mostly empty bottle of Bourbon he had filched from the masquerade ball. 

The bottle had looked expensive and he had wanted to prove something by hiding it under his suit. The guards hadn’t noticed a thing. As soon as the taxi had turned from the chateau’s driveway onto the main road, he had taken it out, uncorked it and taken a big gulp. During the hourlong drive he had managed to down most of it, so that by now less than a third remained. A waste of such good Bourbon, but he didn’t really care. 

He wasn’t used to large amounts of alcohol, so by now he was drunk as a skunk and slurred his words when he commiserated to the driver. “You know, Monsieur, I’m alone. Yes, I’m alone. I, Jacques Bonancieux. How could she leave me? I could have had any woman. ANY woman, and she just up and leaves me.” He looked out of the window, taking another gulp. “My oh-so-wonderful wife cheats on me. On me! In the past she would have been whipped for it, nowadays she gets a reward. He can’t offer her the luxury, the money, the amenities that I have selflessly provided all these years.”

Suddenly his eyes widened in shock. “What will my business partners think? Oh God, they’ll talk about me; I’ll be the laughing stock of the whole town. Everybody will gossip about me. And all just because of her.” By now, he was visibly desperate, almost depressed. He sat in the middle of the backseat, resting his forearms on the back of the front seats, and hung his head, completely devastated by the situation. Alcohol didn’t help any more. 

The driver rolled his eyes. That was the part he hated the most about driving the night shift – the blasted drunks and their problems. 

Suddenly the passenger raised his hand, his cheeks bulged, and he clapped a hand across his mouth. “Oh no, you don’t!” the driver growled and quickly stopped the car on the side of the road. “Get out!” he said. Bonancieux opened the door and practically fell out onto the pavement, where he puked his guts out. With a look of disgust, the driver reached back between the seats and closed the door. 

Bonancieux knelt on the ground, struggling not to fall flat on his face. The taxi drove off, leaving him kneeling by the side of the road, to busy trying not to be sick again. The bottle of Bourbon was still in the car, but right now that was the least of his worries. 

After some time, the fresh air had revived him enough to get up again. He pulled himself to his feet with the help of a lamppost and staggered in the direction the taxi had left in He didn’t really have an idea where he had to go, since he wasn’t familiar with the streets of Paris, so he just walked straight ahead, hoping that the hotel wasn’t too far away. 

The street he was on became ever smaller and darker. Apparently he was in a part of Paris not usually frequented by tourists. Unsuccessfully he tried to orient himself. The fact that he could still hardly stay on his feet didn’t help. 

Three men were coming towards him, looking very burly and taking up almost all of the pavement. Bonancieux tried to sidle past them, but in his inebriated condition he bumped right into the man on the right, who immediately pushed him back. The force behind the push was enough to make Jacques loose his precarious balance and he landed hard on the ground. 

“Eeewww, the dumb-ass stinks to high heaven! And he got me dirty…gaahh.”  
The other two men laughed at their colleague. 

“Who do you think you are? Do you have any idea who you’re messing with?” the men Bonancieux had bumped into asked.

Bonancieux was still recovering from the fall to answer.

“Hey, dimwit, didn’t you hear my friend? He asked you a question!” The second man stopped laughing and stepped closer to Bonancieux. 

“Beg pardon, Monsieur,” Bonancieux tried to apologize.

“What did you say? Oh, you’re drunk as hell,” the second man said. His friend came closer and knelt down beside Bonancieux. Keeping him pinned to the ground with one hand, the man searched through his pockets, getting to his feet once he found what he had been looking for. “Ah, you see, you’ll have to pay for the cleaning.” He took a 50 Euro note out of Bonancieux’s wallet. “Oh, and a little something for a new shirt as well, seeing as how this one is completely ruined.” Two more notes were removed. “And last, but not least, let’s not forget some compensation for the way you stink,” he continued, taking the credit card as well.

“You can’t do that!” Bonancieux protested, finally having found his voice again.

The second man leaned down and put his hand behind his ear. “What was that? We can’t do what?”

Now the third man joined in as well. “We’re the Red Guard, we can do whatever we want!” 

All three men started kicking Bonancieux, who barely managed to protect his face and stomach with his arms. Finally they stopped, threw the empty wallet on the ground beside Bonancieux and left, in high spirits after their spot of amusement. Jacques remained on the ground, curled in upon himself and whimpering. There was a trickle of blood from his nose and some of the kicks might have broken a rib or two. Money was the least of his worries at the moment. 

****************************************************

The morning after the ball Anne woke up earlier than she had expected. The sun was just barely over the horizon, the birds were already singing and the chateau was gradually coming to life. Anne turned over slowly and looked at the sleeping man beside her. Immediately the memories of last night came back to her. God, she had to admit he really was a man of many talents. Very gently she caressed his face, keeping her touch feather-light so she didn’t wake him. Her eyes wandered around the room. Their clothes from last night were strewn everywhere, but she had absolutely no desire to pick them up any time soon. Not while he was lying beside her with his arm around her. No, today she would stay in bed just a little longer.

She looked at Aramis again. Around her he was always laid-back and charming, but she had   
also noticed a certain austerity and tension in his face. He was a man who had seen and experienced a lot in his life, she could see it in his eyes every time he looked at her. But right now, in this moment, he looked so relaxed and peaceful that she wanted to remember this sight forever. Especially since she had been the one to give this moment to him. 

She was glad that for a few hours he had been able to drop his mask with her, and she didn’t mean the one that was currently lying on the floor beside the bed. Anne continued to watch him for a little while longer, until he suddenly blinked and opened his eyes. She was no longer looking at a peacefully sleeping man. Now Aramis was awake and quickly realized that he was in Anne’s bed instead of this own. “Good morning,” he said, his voice slightly raspy, and lightly kissed her. 

“Good morning,” Anne answered, snuggling against him. “Would you like to have breakfast with me? I could have something sent up,” she asked.

Aramis shook his head sadly. “I can’t. The chance of someone noticing that I am here is just too great. We can’t take that risk.”

Anne nodded. She saw his point, but it made her sad that they couldn’t do things like a normal couple.

Reluctantly Aramis got up and collected his clothes, having to search a little before he managed to locate his socks and bow tie. “I’m afraid I have to go before the corridors get too busy.” Anne understood. She got up as well to say goodbye to him at the door. 

**********************************

Aramis stepped into the corridor and turned a corner, all but running into his friend. “Athos, good morning.”

“Aramis, already here? And still in last night’s clothes?” Athos raised his eyebrows questioningly. What had his friend been up to this time?

“Yes, I was on guard duty last night. Didn’t have time to change yet,” Aramis quickly came up with an excuse, something he was good at. Athos didn’t quite believe him. Treville had scheduled enough men for that last night and Athos knew for a fact that Aramis hadn’t been one of them.

“You’re a fine one to talk, you’re still wearing the same suit yourself.” Not wanting to defend himself, Aramis used Athos’s words against him.

“Yes, guard duty, just like you,” Athos mumbled.

Aramis grinned. “Well, in that case Jeany was perfectly safe last night.” The two friends knew that there was no winning this game and went to the guard room without another word. Some things didn’t need to be discussed in detail.

Once there, they changed out of the constricting suits back into street clothes. 

*************************************************

Once Aramis had left, Anne closed the door again with a smile on her face. The last night had been the best one in a very long time. She was so happy that she was almost afraid that feeling might not last very long. No, she would not think like that now. Instead, she would get the day off to a good start. She ordered breakfast and took a shower while she waited for it to arrive. By the time she was finished, the servants had set the table, and with a towel still wrapped around her hair Anne set down and poured herself a cup of coffee. Over breakfast she read her e-mails, checked on the current financial situation of Louis’ various businesses and made a to-do list. The masquerade ball was over, now she had to concentrate on her regular work again.

********************************************

Treville walked into the guard room. D’Artagnan and Porthos were close behind him, in contrast to Aramis and Athos in fresh clothes. Out of the four Porthos had been the only one to spend the night in his own bed. D’Artagnan had spent the night with Constance, but he had had the foresight to deposit a change of clothes in her apartment a few days ago, in order to avoid a situation like the one Athos and Aramis had found themselves in this morning.

Treville addressed his four best men. “Aramis has already told me everything. So Mathis Roux is our man. Athos, a word with you, please.” Athos nodded and followed his captain into his office.

********************************************

Constance came over to Anne’s rooms. Her friend had already finished her breakfast, but the table hadn’t been cleared yet, so she offered Constance something. Constance declined, since she had already eaten. 

“Oh, Constance, what happened?” Anne asked, worried, as she noticed her friend’s split lip.“ Bonancieux ambushed me last night and tried to force me to go with him. When I made the situation clear again and told him that I would definitely not go with him, he hit me. Only once, then I managed to get away.”

“Constance, I’m so sorry! I’ll contact the lawyers right away, have them draw up a restraining order and send the papers to me,” Anne said and immediately took the phone to set everything in motion. A short time later, Jeany came through the door. “Ah, bonjour my dears. I see you’re up and about already.” The three women exchanged greetings and Jeany joined her new friends. 

We really need to check how much money we took in last night,” Anne said. Jeany waved her off. “I already spoke to the auctioneer. He will come over after lunch to report.” “Good. So what shall we do until then?” Constance asked.

“I would like to use the gym. Athos told me that the chateau has one,” Jeany suggested. “Yes, Louis has one set up in his wing, I have used it occasionally. Okay, then I’d say we go for a good workout this morning,” Constance said.

*******************************

Treville and Athos took a seat in Treville’s office, Treville behind his desk and Athos opposite him. “Okay, so the security cameras in some galleries supported by the king have been hacked. Said hacker is Mathis Roux, who works for Victor Savoy. Did I get that right?” Treville asked.

“Yes, Captain. We don’t know if he acted under Savoy’s orders, has been hired by someone else of if it was his own idea. Fact is, he is working for Savoy.” “It was Savoy. He ordered the man to do it,” Treville said, more to himself than to Athos. 

Athos nodded anyway. “Yes, it would make sense. First, Savoy buys up Louis’ assets and takes away a large source of income. Then he enlists a hacker to help vandalize a number of galleries, which damages Louis’ reputation. The people of Fontainebleau and even some in Paris don’t feel safe under his protection any more.”

“And not only that. I’m pretty certain that Savoy also had a hand in Anne’s abduction,” Treville admitted. “The abduction? What makes you think that?” So far, Athos had not considered this particular aspect.

“Anne overheard something while she was imprisoned in that cabin. The two abductors who were with her mentioned something about a duke. So far it’s just speculation on my side, which is why I haven’t discussed it with you yet, but it’s slowly becoming clearer.”

“Even so, why would Savoy kidnap Anne and not Louis himself? That doesn’t really make sense, especially since there was neither a ransom demand nor any other threats. And those men didn’t look like hired killers, so we can rule out an assassination attempt,” Athos argued.  
“Victor wants to get revenge. He blames Louis for the disappearance of his CEO, since the man was supposed to deliver a message to Louis, but went missing on the way. I think Savoy would do anything to get back at Louis for that.”“And he kidnaps Anne to show Louis what it feels like when someone important just disappears.” Slowly Athos understood what was going on. “Exactly.” “Okay, then we have to find the root cause of the problem. The missing CEO,” Athos said.

“And how do you intend to do that? I can’t imagine Savoy backing down,” Treville asked. “Well, in that case we’ll have to prove that Louis is innocent. The best thing would be if we can find the CEO, that should be proof enough, and Savoy might be more amenable, if Louis comes bearing a gift.” 

“That could work.” Treville didn’t really like Athos’ plan and he doubted that they would be able to find the missing CEO, but he trusted his second-in-command enough to give him free rein in this. Athos was just about to rise when Treville’s next words held him back. “Nathan, that other hacker, what do you think of him?” 

Athos got to his feet anyway. He had been sitting still for too long already, he needed to move and do something. He wasn’t cut out for a desk job. “Nathan is a good boy. Yes, he isn’t exactly the model of fitness and I have no idea if he can fight at all, but he has other abilities and I think it’s time that we include those abilities in our portfolio. If not his, then those of someone like him. We have to move with the times.”

Treville nodded , taking another look at Nathan’s file on his desk. “If you have to tell me to move with the times, I must have done something wrong,” Treville said.

Athos laughed. “No, but it is time. The world is moving faster and faster and we’re increasingly dependent on all kinds of technology. Our own expertise only goes so far,” he said. 

Treville nodded and closed the file again. “You’ve convinced me. If the boy made such a good a good impression with you, I’ll talk to him.”

Athos nodded and left the office. On the way to the guard room, he dialed Nathan’s number to let him know that Treville wanted to speak with him.

**************************************

Constance, Jeany and Anne met at the door to the gym. Anne entered an access code and the door opened. This room was completely different from the rest of the chateau. The floor consisted of massive oak floorboards and the walls were eggshell white, where they weren’t covered by mirrors. The ceiling was still very high, but all decorative elements had been removed, so that the room looked very sleek and modern.

There were mats for floor exercises as well as cardio equipment, cross trainers, stationary bikes and treadmills, while another part of the room held a variety of weight training equipment and barbells. 

Constance wore a candy pink sports top and workout shorts with a pink and grey camouflage pattern, and matching grey and pink Nikes. She also wore a grey and pink fitness bracelet.   
Anne had chosen a pale pink sports top with a matching sports bra underneath, grey jersey shorts and grey trainers with a pink sole. Her black and grey sports bottle was always next to the equipment she was currently using.

The three women started with some warm-up exercises, before they moved on to a 30-minute cardio training. Next they changed to the various weight training equipment to work on stomachs, legs and buttocks. They took a short break and then went to work on arms and backs.

After the weight training they did some stretching exercises to bring down their pulse rate, and finished with a second round of cardio. 

Totally worn out, but with tons of endorphins in their bloodstream they went their separate   
ways to take a shower, agreeing to meet later for coffee in the garden. It would be a shame not to enjoy the wonderful weather. 

***********************************

Nathan stood once again in front of the chateau’s entrance gate. He had thought about hacking into the system to create his own security badge, so that he didn’t have to wait at the gate any more. However, that would certainly nix his chances of becoming part of the team, so he had resisted the temptation. 

After a seemingly interminable wait – apparently no one had known that he would come – he was met by a servant, who led him to Treville’s office. Left on his own, he would still have gotten lost. 

In the office, Treville rose and greeted Nathan with a handshake. “Nathan de Villier, I have heard a lot about you. Please, take a seat,” he said, indicating the chair in front of his desk. “Athos told me about your work. Thanks, you really were a big help.”

Nathan nodded, surprised. Not many people thanked him for his work after the fact. “I also heard that you want to work for us,” Treville continued.

Now Nathan perked up. So Athos had already talked to the captain. “Yes,” was all he managed   
to say. “And why do you want to do that?” Treville asked, keeping his voice neutral. 

“I want to do some good and I know that the king has a lot of charitable projects. On the other hand, I know that I’m considered a criminal and I know the other sort of business the king is involved in.” Treville nodded. He had already thought as much, but he let the young man finish anyway. 

“More than that, I want to belong somewhere. We hackers are very lonely, we just have our machines for company. I want to work in a team,” Nathan continued. “Would you be able to work in a team? ‘Want to’ and ‘can’ are two completely different things.” 

Nathan leaned forward. “Yes, I can work in a team, just ask Marc. I can do this, just let me prove it to you.” Treville looked long and hard into the young man’s eyes. Nathan held his gaze. It wasn’t easy, but if he caved in now, everything would have been in vain. Finally Treville got up and Nathan rose to his feet as well.

“Good, we’ll give it a try,” Treville said. “But you’re on probation for a month, then we’ll see how it turned out,” he added, before Nathan could get too enthusiastic. Nathan just nodded and gratefully shook Treville’s hand. “You won’t regret it, you’ll see.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> How do you like it? Tell me in the comments. Also I have a wonderful shipping name for Athos and Jeany, it’s Jathos. What do you think?   
> A guest also left a comment, that, when I had more action, there would be also more comments. But I am writing this story because I wanna do it. I am happy about every interaction with my readers, reading their comments and also discussing some scenes, events or so. But at the end it still my story and I like the balance between the calm parts and the action parts. I hope everybody of you understand and approves that. Wish all of you a wonderful week.


	21. Art and Action

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey Guys, before I’m going into my vacation, I’m uploading chapter 21. Thank you to niagarawiesel. She translated the chapter although she had so much stress. So, kisses to her. This chapter has calm parts but also CSI crime scenes. I’m totally interested which one you like more.   
> Here are some pictures:  
> [Map Louvre](https://pin.it/idkhwnaqdlnpgs), [Louvre](https://pin.it/r5p3jojuswnetl), [abonded house](https://pin.it/fnewtfdx5hs5n2), [Annes Outfit](https://pin.it/s43ihf4f32j6kb), [constance outfit](https://pin.it/jklbc6keirfepz), [D'artagnans Outfit](https://pin.it/ufqtx3mlrgqkwq), [Aramis outfit](https://pin.it/qo6qac52f5awoi)

After the talk with Treville in his office, and the call to Nathan, Athos went back to the others in the guard room. Aramis and D’Artagnan looked up. “So?” D’Artagnan asked impatiently.

“Treville thinks that it is Savoy.” Athos said.

“What do you mean, it is Savoy?” Clearly interested now, Porthos joined the conversation.  
“According to Treville, Savoy was the mastermind behind everything – the real estate buy-out, the attacks on the galleries, even Anne’s abduction.”

Savoy’s involvement in the gallery attacks didn’t shock the others, they had already known about that. And Savoy had always seemed to be the sinister kind of creepy, but that apparently he had been behind Anne’s abduction was a low blow, especially for Aramis. He immediately went over to the locker and started putting his equipment together. “Then we have to get him, what are you waiting for?” he asked.

Athos stepped over to him and closed the locker door. “And what exactly do you want to do? Savoy isn’t a simple street thief. We can’t just show up there and act like we usually do.”  
“Aramis, Athos is right, Savoy is an influential businessman, he has almost the same resources that we have. This would be a fight we might not be able to win. No, we have to choose our battles wisely.” Porthos added his own argument to Athos’. 

Although Aramis wanted to get back at Savoy for Anne’s abduction and suffering, in the end Porthos’ facts convinced him.

“So, what are we going to do?” D’Artagnan asked.  
“Treville wants us to find Savoy’s missing CEO,” Athos answered. 

This time Porthos didn’t side with him. “And then what? We have to think strategically – find out exactly who and what we’re dealing with here, not do him a favor by finding one of his employees for him.”

“But when Treville says that right now it’s important to do that, we have to trust him, Porthos. You of all people should know that Treville always has a plan,” D’Artagnan argued.

“So that’s settled then,” Athos stated simply, considering the topic closed. 

“But how do we find the CEO? Aramis was visibly confused. The CEO had been missing for a considerable time now and they had absolutely no clue where he could be. 

***************************

Later that afternoon, Jeany, Constance and Anne sat in the English Garden. A table beside them held coffee and pastries, and each of the ladies had a good book. A servant crossed the bridge and approached their small group. He took a bow and addressed Anne. “Madame, the auctioneer requests a word with you.” He stepped aside and the man in question came forward.

Anne immediately rose and greeted the elderly man. “How nice that you could manage to come today,” she said. 

“Of course, Madame. You had everything so well prepared in advance that my team and I hardly had any work to do. My commendations, Madame.” He bowed his head slightly in a gesture of respect, before he continued. “We already had the total sum at the end of the evening, but you were unavailable at that time, so I can only give you the final result today.”  
There had been a very good reason why Anne had left the ball before the end, but she hadn’t thought that her absence would be noticed. It shamed her all the more that the auctioneer had indeed noticed it. She blushed, which did not escape Constance’s attention. 

“Well, Madame, I can proudly announce that we have taken in a total of 456.000 €,” the auctioneer said. 

All three women were absolutely delighted and joyfully hugged each other. “Oh, that’s wonderful! Jeany, did you hear that? With that sum we’ll be able to help all the affected gallery owners,” Constance said proudly.

“Monsieur, my thanks to you. You have vastly contributed to that result. Thank you very much. I will wholeheartedly recommend your services,” Anne said. The auctioneer thanked her and took a bow in farewell, before a servant led him back to the chateau.

Jeany got to her feet as well. “I have to go and tell the others the good news. Oh, how marvelous this is! All our efforts have not been for nothing.” Jeany was visibly relieved. Money hadn’t really been a topic for her, but the fate of her fellow gallery owners had dismayed her.  
“Do that, and send them our regards. We will shortly discuss the necessary building and renovation measures,” Anne said. Jeany nodded and hurried back inside the chateau. 

Anne and Constance sat down again and took a sip of their coffee. 

“You know, after all this effort and abductions and attacks, we deserve some fun and relaxation,” Constance decided.

Anne laughed. “Haven’t we had a spa day only recently?”

Constance shook her head. “That’s too long again to count. Come, let’s visit the Louvre and then we’ll go shopping.”

Constance obviously loved her suggestion, but Anne was reluctant. She had a sheaf of financial papers to work through. On the other hand, a little shopping tour wouldn’t do any harm, and they would be getting to take in some artworks too. “Okay, then let’s do that,” she   
agreed.

*************************************

Athos, D’Artagnan, Porthos and Aramis were still in the guard room, each with a laptop before them, desperately searching for a trace of the missing Cluzet. But where to start? When a person disappeared, the first 24 hours were crucial, but this case was already weeks old.

After his talk with Treville Nathan came into the guard room to get set up and in hopes of finding Athos to thank him. When he saw his protégé enter, Athos looked up and shut his laptop. “So, how did it go with Treville?” he asked. 

“I’m going to work with you now!” Nathan answered, bursting with pride. “Only on probation for the time being, but at least I have a chance to prove myself.”

D’Artagnan looked up as well. “Congratulations! Things can get rather rough and tumble around here, but you can learn a lot. It was a good decision to come to us.”

Porthos immediately waved the newbie over. “Well, you can start proving yourself right away.”  
Nathan was a little surprised. He hadn’t expected to be put to work quite so quickly. 

“Come on, boy, for someone like you it should be easy to find a missing person,” Porthos said, getting up, so that Nathan could take his place in front of the laptop.

“Who am I supposed to find?” Nathan asked, already starting to type. 

“A man named Cluzet, he’s the CEO of Savoy Inc. He disappeared a few weeks ago on the way to Chateau Fontainebleau,” Porthos said, providing the information they had.  
“Hey, no fobbing off your work to the boy, Porthos!” Aramis scolded.

Porthos just grinned. “You’re just miffed that you didn’t think of it first.” 

“Porthos may be right,” Athos said.

“May be??” Porthos asked, slightly affronted. Athos ignored him. “Nathan, maybe you can access some surveillance or traffic cams. Cluzet must have been caught on camera somewhere. He was last seen in La Defense.”

The search took all night. Nathan typed ceaselessly. Athos and Porthos stayed to support him for a long time, while Aramis and D’Artagnan left at some point, since they were to accompany Anne and Constance to Paris the next morning.

***********************************************

Around mid-morning the next day, Constance and Anne met in the courtyard, where Aramis, D’Artagnan, Marc and Vincent were already waiting for them with the cars. As usual, Aramis couldn’t keep his eyes off Anne. Luckily for him, the two new recruits were too busy staring at the women themselves to notice. 

Anne truly was a feast for the eyes in a loose-fitting, knee-length mint-green dress with black piping and a black belt, black velvet high heels and a black handbag, as well as mint earrings and a matching bracelet. As she got into the car, she asked her usual question. “Do we really need so many people each time we leave the chateau?”

“Madame, it is necessary to ensure your safety. Paris and especially the Louvre are pretty crowded with tourists this time of year. With the four of us, we can make sure that you and Constance are well protected,” Aramis explained rationally, also as usual.

The drive to the Louvre was uneventful and they arrived at the underground car park without getting caught in a traffic jam. They got out and took an elevator to the foyer, where Constance got their tickets, while D’Artagnan stayed in the background, watching her. Once Constance had told the lady at the cashier window who the tickets were for, they were upgraded to VIP tickets, which allowed them to bypass the long wait lines. 

The Louvre itself was magnificent, and filled with so many works of art that in places it could be overwhelming. You hardly knew what to look at first. D’Artagnan walked ahead to clear the way, so that Anne and Constance wouldn’t have to squeeze through the throng of visitors. 

That gave Constance a good opportunity to surreptitiously watch her lover. Once again he looked absolutely gorgeous in distressed blue jeans, white sneakers and a black print shirt that showed off his muscular physique.

They decided to concentrate on the most famous pieces. It was impossible to see everything in one day, much less only half of one. The Mona Lisa was a must. D’Artagnan used the moment when Constance took a closer look at the small painting to stand close to her as he told her the story of how the Mona Lisa had been stolen.

He was so close to her that Constance had a hard time concentrating on the story. She could feel the light touch of his arm, and his biceps, against her back. The little hairs on the back of her neck rose whenever she felt his breath against her skin, and his scent….

From the Mona Lisa they went on to the sculptures, especially the famous Venus statue. The sculptures looked incredibly real and lifelike. True works of art, especially for Marc, who concentrated more on the statues than on the ladies the four of them were supposed to protect. 

The paintings of the Astonomer and Albrecht Dürer’s self-portrait were duly admired. Aramis and Vincent stopped for a long moment in front of a painting depicting the coronation of Napoleon, and another one titled “Freedom for the People”, soaking up the immeasurable value of those scenes for the French history.

*******************************************

Around 10 o’clock, Athos arrived at the chateau. They had worked long into the night, but unfortunately they hadn’t found anything so far. When he came into the guard room, he found Nathan slumped over in his chair, arms resting on the table top and his head pillowed on his arms, apparently asleep. Athos shook him awake and Nathan startled. “Oh, I must have fallen asleep,” he said as he realized where he was and who was with him. It had not been a very comfortable position to sleep in and he rubbed his neck. 

“Did you find anything?” Athos asked, getting them both some coffee. 

Nathan gratefully accepted the steaming cup. “I couldn’t finish last night, this laptop isn’t equipped for such search routines, that’s why I spent the night here,” he explained.

Athos nodded. Considering its age and the circumstances, the chateau was pretty well equipped, but apparently there was room for improvement in some areas. Both men drank their coffee in silence, until a notification sound came from the laptop. Nathan immediately checked what had caused it.

“We’ve got something! A camera caught him north of Fontainebleau. Apparently his car broke down. He stopped and got out,” Nathan reported. 

“And then?” Athos asked, turning so that he could see the laptop screen.

“Nothing, the camera just shows static. Either it was destroyed or the signal was jammed. Give me a moment, maybe there’s another camera in the vicinity that recorded something.” Nathan started typing again. “No, unfortunately there isn’t. I can try searching for the license plate of the car.”

Athos was impressed. He hadn’t thought that Nathan would show so much initiative.

“Ah, here. There’s the car driving on towards the Seine. Wait, I have another camera.” Nathan showed Athos a surveillance video where two unrecognizable people pushed the car into the river. 

“Is Cluzet still inside?” Athos asked.

Nathan shook his head. “I can’t tell. If he is, he must be lying in the backseat or in the trunk. He’s not visible through the windows.”

“So we’re back to the beginning,” Athos said, downing the last of his coffee.

************************************

After the interesting, but exhausting visit to the Louvre, Constance, Anne and the men decided to have lunch at the “Ripaille”, a restaurant close to the Louvre. Anne and Constance had wanted to walk, but Aramis and D’Artagnan had vehemently. Taking a walk at lunchtime in this area was just too risky, it was much safer to take the cars to the restaurant.

As Constance got out of the car, D’Artagnan couldn’t help staring at her admiringly. She was wearing a white cocktail dress with a wide band of decorative print at the hemline, a thin, loose-fitting powder blue blazer and matching high-heeled sandals. Her handbag was a slightly darker blue. 

Aramis handed Anne out of the car, which provided a good opportunity for her to admire his muscular arms and legs, since he was dressed in a short-sleeved, light blue shirt and dark blue cargo shorts. Together with a grey base cap, blue and white sneakers and a CW watch it made for a delectable picture.

In the restaurant Aramis and D’Artagnan sat with Anne and Constance, since the ladies had invited them to their table. Marc and Vincent had picked up a snack and were waiting outside with the cars.

“I feel so sorry for these two,” Anne said, glancing at the door.   
Aramis reassured her. “We all had to go through that. That’s just the way it is for new recruits. We’ve all been there, haven’t we, D’Artagnan?”

D’Artagnan nodded.

*************************************

Athos stood behind Nathan, while the young hacker kept searching the cameras and the deep web for clues to Cluzet’s whereabouts. Treville came in and joined Athos. “Nathan has been working here all night. We now know that Cluzet might have had a break-down with his car. 

Then the camera went dead and the next thing we found was his car being pushed into the Seine,” Athos reported in a low voice.

“I found him!” Nathan called out and leaned back in his chair. Treville and Athos stepped closer to get a better look at the laptop screen. “Here, somebody is carrying a lifeless body. 

It’s only 800m from where Cluzet’s car broke down.”  
“Can you identify that somebody?” Treville asked. Nathan tried to find a different camera angle, but without success. “No, it’s very dark and the quality of the cameras isn’t too good.”

“Where is he taking him?” Athos asked.  
“To a van. Give me a second to get his license plate, then I can track him.” Nathan started typing again, while Athos and Treville watched silently, impressed by the young man’s abilities, drive and ambition. On their own it would have taken them much longer to find the information. 

“The van went to Paris,” Nathan reported, opening a map of the city. “Here, that’s where he stopped. The car is still there. I can send the address to your phones,” he said, turning to face the two men. Treville nodded. Finally they had a good lead. “Athos, we’ll take a look around there,” he decided. With such an important task, he wanted to be there in person. 

“I’ll get some reinforcements. That part of Paris isn’t one of the safest, there’s no telling what may be waiting for us there.”

Athos went through the duty roster to see which men could be pulled away from their posts, and selected eight men. Then he went down into the basement, where Porthos was working on a sandbag. Having worked up a sweat, he had discarded his t-shirt some time ago.

“We’ve got work to do,” Athos said, throwing the T-Shirt in Porthos’ general direction before he headed back upstairs. Porthos easily caught it, picked up his sports bottle and followed his friend.

Treville, Porthos, Athos and the eight security men went down into the garage and split up between three Volvos. Nathan accompanied them as well, as usual with his laptop under his arm.

***************************

It didn’t take long for them to reach the address on the outskirts of Paris, where Nathan had located the van. The cars were parked one street away and they took flak vests, weapons and flashbangs from the trunks. One of the men also carried a battering ram. While the men prepared themselves, Nathan checked out the building on his laptop. “The building has been empty for a number of years now. Three floors and a basement. It’s rather decrepit, but there’s a survey report from a structural engineer stating that for the time being it’s not in danger of collapsing,” he reported. 

Athos, Porthos and Treville took a last look at the blueprints of the building, which Nathan had downloaded and showed them en route, before the whole group entered the building.

*****************************************

Once Constance, Anne, Aramis and D’Artagnan had finished and paid for their lunch, they rejoined Marc and Vincent and took the cars to the Carrousel du Louvre, a large underground shopping mall. The men weren’t too keen on a shopping tour, but Constance and Anne were delighted to spend some money for themselves after the last hectic couple of days.

This time Marc took point, followed by Anne and Constance. Aramis was at Anne’s side and D’Artagnan and Vincent brought up the rear.

“Talk about exhausting,” Vincent complained in a low voice. “I didn’t leave the army to be a glorified bag carrier for some rich woman and her assistant.”

Too caught up in their “shopping frenzy”, Anne and Constance hadn’t heard his words, but D’Artagnan certainly had. As Anne and Constance looked at a display of necklaces and other jewelry, D’Artagnan took Vincent aside to a quiet corner, where they wouldn’t be noticed. He pressed Vincent against the wall and put his forearm against the man’s windpipe hard enough to send a message. “I never want to see you behaving so disrespectfully towards guests of the king ever again. It’s a privilege to work for the king and to protect his guests.” 

D’Artagnan kept his voice quiet and even, but there was an undertone of steel in it so unlike his usual demeanor that it made it more dangerous than a shout. “I want you to do your job in a professional manner, and if the ladies want you to carry their bags, then that’s what you’ll do. Are we clear?”

Vincent nodded as best he could with D’Artagnan’s arm still pressing on his windpipe.   
“If I catch you talking like that again, you’ll wish you were back in the army, because then I’ll make your remaining time with the king a living hell,” D’Artagnan threatened, before he let go of Vincent. Vincent gasped for breath. He had always thought Athos and Porthos to be the dangerous ones out of the four men, but apparently he had underestimated D’Artagnan. He wouldn’t make that mistake again.

******************************************

The small, well-equipped group of black-clad men entered the building, which was already falling to bits in a few places. The captain formed three teams; one would secure the first and second floor, while the second one would cover the ground floor and the exits. Treville himself, Athos and Porthos, as the third team, went down into the basement, moving cautiously, constantly covering each other. So far, the basement appeared empty. Suddenly,   
they heard rumbling sounds from above, quickly followed by a radio report stating that everything was okay. “Did you find anything?” Athos asked the first team.

“There were two men on the second floor. We took care of them,” the team leader reported. Meanwhile, Treville and Porthos went further into the basement until they came to a door. Porthos directed the beam of his flashlight on the ground and found a tray with dirty dishes outside the door and pointed it out to the other two men. Treville pressed down the door handle, but the door was locked. Athos grabbed the radio. “Get the ram down here,” he ordered. A moment later, a member of the second team appeared. On three they broke down the door and stormed into the room.

Inside, the room was almost completely dark, their flashlights providing the only illumination. It was also dank and musty, with an unpleasant mildewy smell. There was no furniture; no chair or bed or even a table. In the farthest corner of the room, a man was cowering on the floor.


	22. Lightshow

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The end is near, but before that, some “fun” is coming.   
> [Louis Outfit](https://pin.it/bpbuyfgluvemnf)

Last time in chapter 21:

Inside, the room was almost completely dark, their flashlights providing the only illumination. It was also dank and musty, with an unpleasant mildewy smell. There was no furniture; no chair or bed or even a table. In the farthest corner of the room, a man was cowering on the floor. 

Treville trained the beam of his flashlight on the crouching figure. The man tried to shield his eyes from the sudden glare after days of complete darkness. 

“Monsieur Cluzet?” Treville asked. The man before him was almost unrecognizable. His clothes were torn and tattered, his face and hands dirty. He looked haggard and generally in no good condition. 

“Yes, that’s me,” the man answered, his spirit apparently unbroken. Porthos helped him up and supported him on the way back upstairs. Athos took some photos of the room and the general conditions with his cellphone, before he followed the others. 

All three teams left the building as quickly as they had entered, Cluzet hidden in their midst, still leaning on Porthos. Quickly the equipment was returned to the car trunks and the whole group drove back to the chateau. 

“I want to go to a hospital,” Cluzet complained, once he had realized that they weren’t headed towards any of the many hospitals in Paris. 

“We have an excellent doctor at Chateau Fontainebleau. He has already been summoned and can provide the necessary medical care. For your own safety, we’ll avoid the hospitals,” Treville reassured him in a soft, almost silky voice. Athos and Porthos, who were in the same car, knew better. Yes, the security would be better at the chateau, but that wasn’t the main reason. So far, nobody but them knew that they had found and rescued Cluzet, and they wanted to keep it that way for the time being. He wasn’t their hostage, but they wanted to use the shift in the balance of power to their advantage, trusting Treville in this matter. The man was a brilliant tactician, even if the motive behind his plans wasn’t always apparent at first.

The sun was just going down when the cars stopped in front of the wide stone steps at the entrance. Porthos, Treville, Nathan and most of the security guards got out, while Athos and the remaining men took the cars back to the garage. Treville and Porthos took Cluzet to one of the more secluded guest rooms, where Lemay could examine him and the man could get some rest and take a shower. In Porthos’ opinion the man desperately needed one.

Inside the room, Cluzet sat down on the bed and a few seconds later Lemay arrived and shooed Porthos off into a corner of the room. Porthos had the first watch and would also keep an eye on Lemay. Meanwhile, Treville left for the quarters of the king to report. 

Once Lemay had finished his examination and concluded that Cluzet was suffering from beginning malnutrition, exhaustion, a couple of bruised ribs and some abrasions, but had no serious injuries, Athos came in. He and Porthos would guard Cluzet tonight.

**************************************

Aramis, Anne, Constance, D’Artagnan and the two recruits arrived back from their trip to Paris an hour after the rescue team. D’Artagnan and Aramis accompanied the ladies back to their rooms, while Marc and Vincent returned the cars to the garage.

Once Aramis and D’Artagnan had made sure that their ladies would be safe for the night, they headed towards the guard room. With a little luck, Athos and Porthos would still be there and they could go out for a drink together. 

Anne and Constance put away the bounty from their shopping tour and talked a little about their trip.

D’Artagnan was just about to open the door to the guard room, when one of the guards came out. Seeing the two men, he patted D’Artagnan’s shoulder. “Boy, did you miss all the fun,” he said, grinning. 

“What do you mean, my friend?” Aramis asked.  
“We just got back from an assignment. Rescued Savoy’s CEO.”

D’Artagnan and Aramis exchanged a surprised look. Well, that was fast. Apparently, Athos and Porthos had had the more exciting day. Vincent and Marc, who were just about to leave for the day, overheard them. Vincent got angry when he heard what kind of opportunity he had missed. In a fit of rage, he kicked a couple of chairs against the wall, before he stormed out of the room, bumping into D’Artagnan and Aramis in the process. D’Artagnan wanted to go after him, but Aramis held him back. Following the man would be useless right now.

*******************************************

Next morning around half past nine Treville went to Louis’ rooms to report. Apparently it was still a little too early for the king. Treville entered the living room and knocked on the door to the bedroom, before he entered. “Sire, it’s Treville. I have an urgent matter to discuss with you,” he announced himself. 

Inside the bedroom he found his boss sitting on the large four-poster bed, still in a long-sleeved silk pajama with a Rokoko-inspired pattern. The underwear scattered on the floor suggested that Louis had had female company up until a few moments ago. “Treville, you here so early?” Louis seemed to be half-asleep still.

“I apologize for the intrusion, but I have good news. We have found Cluzet.”

“Cluzet? I don’t understand.”

Treville cleared his throat. “Cluzet, the CEO, Savoy accused you of being involved in the man’s disappearance.”

Now Louis understood. “Cluzet, yes, I remember. How did you manage to find him when Savoy couldn’t?”

“Well, we searched very thoroughly and left no stone unturned. The man was abducted shortly   
before he arrived here. We rescued him, he’s at the chateau now, and according to Doctor Lemay he has no serious injuries.”

Louis bounced up and down on the bed in delight. “Oh Treville, that is wonderful! Summon Savoy immediately” He will hear it from me, personally. I want him to know that I found his CEO. I, whom he accused. Oh Treville, that will be marvelous!”

***********************************************

D’Artagnan and Aramis relieved their two exhausted friends outside the door to Cluzet’s room. Athos and Porthos had been on guard all night, but their friends wouldn’t let them go before they had learned all about yesterday’s rescue mission. Porthos gave them a quick run-down. 

“Looks like of the four of us you had all the fun. That seems to become a habit lately,” D’Artagnan said, once Porthos had finished.

“If that’s your idea of fun, you’re more than welcome to it,” Athos grumbled, rolling his eyes. While they were talking, a couple of men in work coveralls, carrying large bags and metal cases, passed them without a word. Aramis called out to them. “Hey, who are you?”  
The men stopped and turned around, keeping their heads low. Was it a gesture of respect or did they want to avoid being recognized? “Monsieur, we work for Marmion, the electrical engineer. He has an order from the king to install a new lighting system.” 

His question answered and with no knowledge to the contrary, Aramis didn’t dig any deeper. It was not uncommon for workmen to be in the chateau during the day. It was an old building and required maintenance at regular intervals. 

While the workmen went on down the corridor, Athos began to wonder why he hadn’t heard anything about this project. In such cases, Treville usually informed him. However, they were all pretty exhausted, so it might just have been overlooked. He decided to let it go. The four men said goodbye and Porthos and Athos headed towards the guard room. At the door leading outside they split up. Porthos went on to the guard room, while Athos headed outside, as he wanted to visit Jeany.

*************************************

Anne and Constance had agreed to meet this morning. Now they were in Anne’s sitting room, dealing with the work that had piled up over the last few days. There was a lot to go through. Louis’ financial affairs had to be kept up to date.

A servant interrupted their work, handing Anne a large envelope, which she immediately opened. “Oh Constance, finally! Your divorce papers. The lawyers checked them, so all you need to do is sign them.”

Constance took the documents and immediately signed them. In an unspectacular fashion they were returned to the envelope and the servant took them away again to be posted. 

“Now, if only Jacques signs them as well….” Constance said.

“I’m sure he will. He’s getting a good deal out of it. Just one more week and you’ll be free,” 

Anne reassured her. Constance agreed, she could hold out for one more week. Immediately her thoughts went to D’Artagnan, who unknowingly was only a few meters away from her.

************************************

After his talk with Louis earlier that morning, Treville had gone directly to his office to summon Savoy. Now he went in search of Louis, finding him in the ballroom. The man was staring at the ceiling, but noticed that Treville stood a short distance beside him.

“Treville, you will be delighted by Marmion’s work. I hired him to install a breathtaking lighting system in the ballroom.” 

Treville nodded, watching the workmen install various technical devices. “Sire, I have reached Savoy. He will come to the chateau around lunchtime,” he said.

“Very good. Then I can savor my triumph. But first I want you to pump that Cluzet for every bit of information. I want to know everything.”

Treville nodded and left Louis alone again.

*************************************

As every morning, Marc rode his sports bike to the chateau and chained it securely to a pole near the garage, before he headed to the guard room. Usually he was the only one there. By the time he came, the shifts had already changed and at this time of the day no one else was in the room. Today, however, Porthos was sitting at one of the tables with an open-faced sandwich and a cup of coffee in front of him. Marc seized the opportunity to speak to the brawny man.

“Porthos, I’ve been wondering if you could help me with my hand-to-hand combat training. I’m pretty far behind and D’Artagnan is not exactly pleased with my progress.”

Porthos swallowed the last of his coffee and put the cup back down on the table. “Well, then let’s see if I can’t teach you a few tricks our dear D’Artagnan doesn’t know,” he said,   
laughing. He was exhausted from his guard duty last night, but he couldn’t deny anyone a good workout, and if he went to bed now, he wouldn’t get up again anytime soon. “We’ll go out into the garden. The weather is far too nice to bury ourselves in the basement.”

Marc nodded, put his lunchbox into his locker and followed Porthos outside. In the corridor they encountered a group of workmen carrying heavy equipment and support frames in the direction of the ballroom. Strange that they all came from the same direction with such a heavy load. Porthos wondered where else they had to go.

***********************************

Treville sat opposite Cluzet, who was just finishing a hearty breakfast.   
“Well, Monsieur, we are wondering. It was pure chance that we managed to find you. Do you have any idea who abducted you? Did you notice anything?” he asked. 

Cluzet stared into his coffee cup. “No, you’re asking the same thing I have been asking myself during that endless time in the basement. I never saw the men’s faces, they always wore masks. And I didn’t recognize their voices either,” he answered.

After a few more questions that didn’t elicit any useful answers, Treville left Cluzet to his rest and left the room to join D’Artagnan and Aramis. “I’m afraid we’ve put a spanner in the works of an old enemy,” he said conspiratorially. 

Aramis immediately understood. “So it was the Red Guard.”

“They rule over that part of the city and most probably the building belongs to one of their dummy companies. I didn’t recognize the men, but they could have been hired,” Treville said. “However, before we accuse anyone, I want to make sure. And having evidence would be a good thing, too,” he continued, turning to D’Artagnan.

D’Artagnan nodded. “I’ll set Henry on it, maybe he can find something.” He left right away. He wouldn’t be gone that long, Aramis could stand guard on his own for a short time.

******************************************

Savoy stormed into the ballroom. The servant, who was supposed to announce him and show him in, had no chance of keeping up.

“What is so important, my dear brother-in-law, that I had to come all the way out here to the boondocks for it?” he asked, definitely not amused. He had had a bad day so far and Louis’ summons had not made it any better.

Louis had stood with his back to the door, now he turned around and grinned at Savoy. “Ah, Victor, how nice of you to come.”

Savoy scoffed at this greeting. Louis didn’t let that stop him from savoring this small victory. “I have requested your presence, because I know now where your CEO is,” he said in a provocative tone.

“I knew it! You had him all along and you waited until now to tell me! I knew it!” Victor yelled, beside himself with fury. 

“No, up until this morning I had no idea. I ordered my men to search for him and they finally found him in Paris. He was abducted and they rescued him.”

Savoy turned around and made a dismissive gesture. “You don’t really believe that, do you? It doesn’t make sense, who would want to abduct my CEO?”

“He can tell you himself. Servant, have Treville bring Cluzet here,” Louis told the servant, who still stood beside the door. The man turned on his heel and went in search of Treville. Meanwhile, Marmion’s workmen set up their equipment, installations and support frames.

***********************************

Another knock on the door and a servant entered Anne’s sitting room. “Madame, your cousin sent me. Your presence is requested in the ballroom. He wants to show you the new lighting system.” 

Anne saved her work in the computer and stood up. 

“You, too, Madame,” the servant told Constance. She was surprised by Louis’ invitation, but   
followed her friend. 

“I’m curious what’s supposed to be so interesting about the new lighting system,” Constance said on the way to the ballroom. Anne nodded. It did sound a little fishy.

**********************************

Porthos was training with Marc in the garden. They had made good progress and Porthos was pleased how quickly Marc learned. A little one-on-one training session could sometimes work wonders. A servant came hurrying up to them, interrupting their session. “Messieurs, the king requested your presence in the ballroom. Please follow me,” he said and immediately turned back in the direction of the chateau. Porthos and Marc exchanged a confused look, but shrugged their shoulders and followed the man inside.

************************************

D’Artagnan had just stepped out of the door, on his way to meet Henry in Paris, near the headquarters of the Red Guard. “Monsieur D’Artagnan, please wait,” someone called out from behind him. D’Artagnan stopped and turned around. A servant hurried towards him. “The king is waiting for you in the ballroom. Please follow me,” he said.

On the way to the ballroom, D’Artagnan sent a quick text to Henry, unnoticed by the servant. Whatever the king had planned in the ballroom, would surely not take long and that way Henry could already be on his way.

***************************

A servant informed Treville, that he and Cluzet were expected in the ballroom, so he went to the guest room to fetch the man. Aramis accompanied them, providing added security for Cluzet. When they arrived at the ballroom, Treville noticed that it was considerably more crowded than an hour ago. Anne and Constance were there, D’Artagnan and Porthos and now himself, Aramis and Cluzet. They all looked each other in confusion. Especially Savoy and Louis had no idea what was going on. They had only sent for Treville and Cluzet.   
Suddenly, Marmion, who was standing near the windows, raised his voice. “Mesdames and Messieurs, it was I who requested your presence.”

“I don’t understand, Marmion, do you need all of us for your installation?” Louis asked.  
Treville and Aramis noticed that the servants moved to stand in front of the doors, blocking the exits. On second glance, Porthos realized that he didn’t recognize any of the servants. 

The chateau had a large number of personnel, but he should have seen at least a few familiar faces. The remaining servants now closed the windows and the blinds, so that the room became darker. 

It was apparent that this was not part of any light installation, as the servants and workmen began to pull weapons out of the bags and metal cases and trained them on the assembled people, herding the alarmed group together in the middle of the room.

Aramis, Porthos and D’Artagnan were roughly restrained and weapons were pointed directly   
at them. Out of consideration for the king’s safety, they were unable to react. Anne and Constance clung to each other and did as they were told. Even Treville was powerless against this attack. Louis and Savoy were frozen in shock.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Just a little question. Because all of our boys have a love interest except Porthos. What would you think about a women in his life? Yes or No? Any suggestion, write it in the comments, please :D


	23. Head or Cross

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys, sorry for the delay, but our traveling back home was longer than I thought. But now finally Im posting chapter 23. Things getting serious. Because I brought a lot of the locations inside the chateau in this chapter, I have a perfect plan made. [Map](https://pin.it/ifhgnxzbdajbmm)  
> 1\. Ballroom 2. outer Gate 3. Guard room + basement 4. room where Anne and Constance are been captured  
> [sou coins](https://pin.it/2ux2mqzqwzqern)

Last time in chapter 22:

Suddenly, Marmion, who was standing near the windows, raised his voice. “Mesdames and Messieurs, it was I who requested your presence.”

“I don’t understand, Marmion, do you need all of us for your installation?” Louis asked.  
Treville and Aramis noticed that the servants moved to stand in front of the doors, blocking the exits. On second glance, Porthos realized that he didn’t recognize any of the servants. The chateau had a large number of personnel, but he should have seen at least a few familiar faces. The remaining servants now closed the windows and the blinds, so that the room became darker. 

It was apparent that this was not part of any light installation, as the servants and workmen began to pull weapons out of the bags and metal cases and trained them on the assembled people, herding the alarmed group together in the middle of the room.

Aramis, Porthos and D’Artagnan were roughly restrained and weapons were pointed directly at them. Out of consideration for the king’s safety, they were unable to react. Anne and Constance clung to each other and did as they were told. Even Treville was powerless against this attack. 

Now Marmion had everyone in the room under his control. There were no sounds of fighting from the corridors, so the hope of outside help was minimal.

“Marmion, I don’t understand. What is going on?” Louis had never been more confused. He kept looking back at the others and not making a very good impression in this crisis.

Marmion only laughed, relishing the power he now held. “Now, you will feel what it really mans to make a decision. And this time you will witness first-hand the results of your decisions. The great king will experience what it means to decide, who lives and who dies.”

His words hung like a heavy cloud over the heads of everyone present. No one knew exactly what he meant. Marmion held up an antique coin. Treville recognized it as a fifty sou coin, and old currency used in the 17th century. It was made of silver, with a head on one side and the crest of the historical royal families on the other. “This coin will now become an   
instrument. An instrument, which will help you make a decision. It’s simple, but then isn’t life simple as well?” Marmion said, turning almost philosophical. “Your esteemed king will now decide about the rest of your life.”

“Marmion, that’s madness. Let us go, we can all still walk away from this,” Louis pleaded. 

Marmion took a few steps in his direction and all but yelled at him. “No, we will not go! You will decide and then you will know what it means to make life or death decisions.” He flipped the coin into the air and caught it again. He placed the coin on the back of one hand and covered it with the other. “Head or cross?” he asked.

Louis didn’t understand and looked to Treville for guidance. Treville closely watched the   
whole situation, but right now he had no clue how to act.

“Choose!” Marmion thundered. It was clear that the whole matter, probably including the planning and execution, had taken its toll on him. He was not nearly as relaxed and gleeful as he pretended to be.

Louis resigned. “Head.” 

Marmion lifted the hand that had covered the coin, and Louis, who stood closest to him, could see that it showed the cross. He let his head fall. 

“You see, it’s that simple. Now someone will die. The question is just, who will it be? Since we have invaded your home, I will leave the first choice to you. There’s enough of a selection for you to choose from,” Marmion said, with an expansive gesture towards the group of people still crowded together in the middle of the room. 

Anne had turned back to the scene and watched her cousin with fearful eyes. She was trembling with fear and not even Aramis’ presence had a positive effect on her. 

Before Louis could say anything or make a decision, multiple things happened at once.   
Aramis vehemently fought against the two servants restraining him. They grappled, but before Aramis could free himself, a shot rang out and the combination of the bullet’s impact and a blow one of the servants managed to land, threw Aramis back against the window. The shutters flew open and Aramis crashed through the window to land in the garden. 

At the same time, Porthos started to fight as well, but due to his size and strength he had three men against him and could not get the upper hand. 

D’Artagnan was in a similar situation. The weapons pointed at him prevented him from using his hand-to-hand combat skills. 

Treville stepped in front of the king, but without a weapon he could only shield him with his own body.

After the shot, the only thing to be heard was Porthos’s shout. “Aramis!”  
A wave of agitation ran through the room. Anne and Constance tried to evade the fighting men, staying close together. When Anne saw Aramis crash through the window, she was shocked, tears running down her face. 

To bring some order back to the chaos, Marmion fired a second shot, this time into the ceiling, as a warning. The whole room fell quiet. Porthos and D’Artagnan stopped fighting.   
The situation was hopeless, they were in the minority and had no other advantages. 

Now that they no longer had to fight against Porthos and D’Artagnan, the servants and workmen could catch their breath. One of the men went to the open window and closed the shutters again. 

D’Artagnan checked if anyone had been hurt either by the shot or the short fights, but luckily he couldn’t find any injuries. However, he could clearly see how much the situation had thrown especially Anne for a loop, and he was constantly worried about Constance. “Marmion, please let the ladies go. They are absolutely no danger to you, so please spare them. Let them leave,” he all but begged.

Marmion was surprised. Resistance he had expected, and his men had been prepared for it, but being begged to let the women go? He thought about it for quite a while. 

Treville decided to try as well. “It would increase the cooperation of my men if you show leniency towards the ladies.”

Marmion relented. He had already formulated a plan. “Take the women into the room and bring me some of the others,” he said.

D’Artagnan asked himself which room he was referring to and who these “others” were. One of the servants all but dragged Anne and Constance out of the room. Constance looked at D’Artagnan over her shoulder, fearful and unsure. He nodded affirmatively, glad that she was no longer in immediate danger. Now he could concentrate on the situation in front of him again. Who knew, maybe the two women would even find a way to escape. 

With all of the attention focused elsewhere for the moment, Porthos and Treville took the chance to exchange a few whispered words. “Why is nobody coming?” Porthos asked. “They might have turned off the cameras, but we had close to twenty men on duty. Somebody must notice something.” Porthos was confused. It was definitely not like his colleagues not to react.

“They must have isolated the chateau, but I have no idea how they managed to overwhelm all of our men,” Treville said.

Porthos nodded. “We have to make contact with the outside. Inform someone, before the situation escalates any further.”

Treville understood. “Athos has the day off. I’m sure he’s not at the chateau, he checked out with me this morning. If we could reach him…”

Marmion rudely interrupted them. “Hey, you two, no whispering. Looks like I have to separate you,” he said, motioning to three of his men. They roughly grabbed Porthos and dragged him out of the room. Treville wasn’t too worried. His men could take care of themselves and   
maybe Porthos would find a way to get help.

************************************

Athos and Jeany had spent the morning in bed, either awake and active or snuggled together, sleeping. Right now they were just lying there, reveling in the pleasant silence between them. Jeany lay half on Athos’ chest, tracing symbols on his skin with her fingers. Athos had his arm around her shoulder, holding her close against his side, while his other arm was tucked behind his head. 

He reached for his cellphone, slightly jostling Jeany in the process. She was not amused and plucked the phone out of his hand in retaliation. “Hey, am I not enough for you?”

Athos gently stroked her shoulder. “Of course you are. I’m just wondering why I haven’t heard from anyone.”

Jeany kissed him and handed the phone back. “It’s your day off, why should you hear from them?”

“As second-in-command I’m never really off duty. Something always comes in, mails, messages, pictures….” Just to be on the safe side, he checked his inbox again, but there were no new messages.

“Well, maybe they understood that you need some time off and that’s why they don’t send anything.”

Athos put the cellphone down and turned to Jeany again. “Maybe you’re right.” He kissed her again and that was the end of that particular topic.

****************************************

Marmion turned back to Louis. A group of Louis’ employees who happened to be in the chateau at the time of the siege, had been brought into the ballroom. Marmion dragged one man out of the group and over to Louis.

“Head or cross?” he asked again. 

“And then what?” Louis asked, belligerently. In D’Artagnan’s opinion, not a very good idea   
right now.

“Choose correctly and the man can go. Make the wrong choice and he dies,” Marmion answered.

“No, I can’t….” Louis stuttered. Marmion ignored it and trained his gun on Savoy.   
“Make your choice or this one dies without ever getting one,” he said.

“Louis, please, make a choice,” Victor begged his brother-in-law. Louis closed his eyes. “Cross,” he said firmly.

Marmion flipped the coin into the air, caught it and looked at the result. “Too bad, that was obviously the wrong choice,” he said, shifted his gun from Savoy to the man he had dragged out of the group and shot him without any show of emotion. Louis flinched violently. Treville and D’Artagnan were shocked by Marmion’s coldheartedness.

********************************************

The men roughly threw Porthos through the door to the basement, not caring if he fell down the steps. They were just glad to be rid of their brawny prisoner and just slammed the door shut behind him. Porthos heard their footsteps moving away from the door.

He stood up, dusted himself off and tried to find his bearings. Despite the emergency lighting, his eyes needed a little time to adapt to the new situation. Two men came towards him. “Porthos, finally, what’s going on up there?”

“Is everybody okay? Is anyone dead or injured?”

Porthos was overwhelmed with the questions. He walked further into the room and noticed, that all the guards on duty were there, standing around and looking at him hopefully. The two men who had asked the questions were Durrand and Lefreve.

“We were held hostage in the ballroom-“ Porthos began but was immediately interrupted. “Who is ‘we’?” Vincent, who had been at the back of the group, now pushed his way to the front, much to the resentment of the others. Everybody wanted to know what was going on.   
“Louis, Savoy, Cluzet, Treville and D’Artagnan,” Porthos continued. 

“So with them in the ballroom and us down here, that’s everybody. Do you know if we have anyone on the outside? What about Aramis?” Levrefe asked.

Porthos scrubbed a hand across his face and rubbed the back of his neck. By now he clearly felt how much this day was draining his energy, especially since he had been awake since yesterday without much of a rest.

“Athos is at home, but how is he supposed to know what’s happening here, if we can’t reach anyone? Aramis has been shot, I have no idea if he’s still alive.” 

When the others heard what had happened to Aramis, the mood became somber. Porthos tried to shake it off as quickly as possible. He couldn’t dwell on that thought now.   
“What about you? What happened?” he asked.

Durrand started to talk. “We were overrun. They surprised us all. They had documents and ID cards, so we thought they were legit. A lot of us were tasered, and some are still feeling the aftereffects. Others were struck down from behind, before they could react.”

“Like a Trojan horse,” Porthos said. Levrefe nodded. “Yes, they worked their way from the outside in, so no one could escape. They are guarding the gates and the important rooms. We were all taken down here, they took away our weapons and left only the emergency lights on.”  
“Can we get into the garden?” Porthos had an idea, but Vincent shook his head. “No, they blocked that exit. The only entrance is the one to the guard room, where they are keeping our weapons, so they didn’t take them very far.”

“I wonder where all the servants are,” Durrand added. 

*************************************************

For the moment, all was quiet in the ballroom, giving everyone a chance to take a deep breath and conserve their strength. Treville used the opportunity to assess the situation. Their priority were the three civilians – Louis, Savoy and Cluzet, as well as four of Louis’ employees. He himself, Marc and D’Artagnan were the only ones left from the security team. 

Marmion was talking to one of the workmen. Treville had already noticed him a few times from the corner of his eye. The man behaved differently, more dominant. He seemed to have more power and authority than the rest of the men. The others were all equipped with rapid-fire weapons, but they didn’t seem very experienced with them, that was clear from the way they acted and how they handled the guns. They had only had the element of surprise and greater numbers to their advantage. Like himself, D’Artagnan was watching the men closely, but Treville didn’t want the risk of talking to him, or either one of them would probably be dragged from the room as well and they would be even more in the minority.

***************************************

Three armed servants led Anne and Constance down a short corridor. The women were holding hands, each one glad they weren’t alone in this. At first, Constance thought they would be brought to the Diana Gallery, but they passed that and turned left into the next corridor over, where they were pushed into the second room.

Before they could turn around, the door banged shut behind them and the key was turned from the outside. So they were locked in. Constance, ever practical, put up her hair and inspected the room. There wasn’t much to see, no chairs, no tables, just an empty room with two old cupboards. Constance opened them, but found them empty except for a few dust motes. Her shoulders drooped, but she was still far from giving up hope of escape. She closed the cupboards again and went over to the windows, which ran parallel to the cupboards. They were on the first floor, so climbing out shouldn’t be impossible. 

Meanwhile, Anne had slid down the wall until she sat on the floor, not caring in the least how dirty it was. She drew up her knees, rested her head on her folded arms and sobbed. Only now did Constance realize, just how much the whole situation affected Anne. She forgot about the windows and sat down beside her friend. “Anne, don’t lose hope, everything will be okay. We will get out of here, they will come and rescue us.”

“Who, Constance, who?” Anne asked desperately and looked at her friend with tear-stained eyes. “Aramis fell out of the window. If the fall didn’t kill him, the bullet did. And Treville and D’Artagnan can’t fight against so many men.”

Anne’s words hadn’t put a dent in Constance’s optimism and she tried to cheer her friend up with her hope. “It will be okay, just have faith. At the end, everything will be fine.” 

Her friend’s words managed to calm Anne a little. She knew, that Constance was realistic and if she thought there was hope, she herself would believe it too. She leaned her head against Constance’s shoulder and Constance hugged her. Together they looked out of the window and watched the sun, which had passed its highest point and was now moving on.

**************************************

It was still quiet in the ballroom. Marmion hadn’t done anything for a while. D’Artagnan saw a chance and knew that Treville trusted him enough to let him try, even though it might put them in more danger.

“Marmion!” he called out to the man. Everybody looked to him and so did Marmion. Good, he had the man’s attention now. Marmion turned around to D’Artagnan and looked at him expectantly. 

“Why don’t you just kill us all. It’s quick, you won’t risk any resistance from us and you’ll have enough time to get away.”

“Oh my God, what is he doing?” Louis whispered incredulously. D’Artagnan didn’t even hear him.

“Kill us all or let us go, but we are not your lab rats,” he said.

“No, you’re not, but you don’t decide your own fate, the king does. He tells you when to come to work in the morning and when to leave at night. He pays you a bonus or he deducts a broken vase from your pay. *He* does that.”

Marmion walked out into the middle of the room. “Well, then let him decide now as well. You there, come forward,” he said, pointing at Marc. Alarmed at having been selected, Marc looked over to Treville and D’Artagnan, unsure of what to do, but they were unable to help. 

One of the workmen pushed him from behind, so that he had to take a few steps forward or he would have landed on the floor. 

“Now you will see what it means, when the king decides about your life.” Marmion said.   
“Louis, choose for him. Head or Cross?” He flipped the coin into the air again and deftly caught it. 

“Sire, don’t do it, we can’t win this,” Marc pleaded with Louis and gave him a desperate look. Sweat beaded on Louis’ forehead, the man was clearly at the end of his rope. The pressure was gnawing at him. The thought alone, that he was responsible for the death of his employees…. He stood there, crestfallen, with drooping shoulders and empty eyes, his hands hidden in the pockets of his trousers. In contrast to Savoy, who was standing beside him, he was the picture of hopelessness. 

Everybody was waiting for his decision. Marc hoped that Louis wouldn’t answer, but he was immediately disappointed. 

“Head.”

Like before, Marmion took his hand off the coin. Marc and Treville, who were standing so close to Marmion that they could see the result, let out a relieved breath. The coin on Marmion’s hand had landed with the head side up. “Take him outside. Boy, you are free to go, your king has chosen well for you today,” Marmion said. Two servants grabbed Marc’s arms and marched him towards the door.

D’Artagnan gave him a short nod. Marc knew, what he had to do now. D’Artagnan and Treville trusted him. 

Marc was led out of the ballroom and taken to the main gate, where two men sat in the small guard house. They opened the door and let him leave. 

************************************

Henry had received D’Artagnan’s text this morning, but nothing since then. He had tried to call, but no answer. Had D’Artagnan forgotten about him? Apparently he wasn’t important enough yet. Henry was a little disappointed at being ignored like that, but he wanted to be prepared anyway, so he hadn’t made any other plans for today, he was just meeting Nathan at a café. He had chosen a sofa at one of the windows and was nipping at a cappuccino while he waited. A few minutes later, Nathan came in and headed towards Henry. 

“Hi, sorry I’m late, for some reason the Metro didn’t run.”

Henry made a dismissive gesture. For a Parisian, delayed or cancelled Metro trains were par for the course. Nathan parked his heavy backpack with Henry and got some coffee for himself, then he took a seat opposite him. They talked about everything under the sun, but Henry kept glancing at his phone. 

“Do you have a new girlfriend or why are you constantly checking your phone?” Nathan asked. Henry looked at him guiltily. “No, I’m sorry, I know it’s rude, but I’m waiting for a message from D’Artagnan. First he tells me that he wants to meet and then nothing.”

Nathan agreed, that was fishy. It wasn’t like the king’s bodyguards, in contrast to the Red Guard they were diligent and reliable. He reached for his backpack and pulled out his laptop. “Let me check something,” he said and started typing. After a short while, he joined Henry on the sofa, so that his friend could see the screen too.

“Just as I thought, there are no signals in or out near the chateau.”

“What?” Henry was confused. That wasn’t really an explanation.

“Well, with a house like the chateau, especially with all those security measures, but also Louis’ business affairs, there’s usually a data transfer on a par with an office block in La Defense. Here, nothing. One small data line is active, that’s all.”

Henry took a closer look at the screen. It sounded definitely suspicious. “A technical defect or a glitch in the system?” he suggested.

“No, nothing has been reported and if it’s a technical problem, all lines should be dead,” Nathan answered.

“Come on, we’ll take a look ourselves.”

*******************************************

“Why are you doing this?” Savoy asked. Up to know he had been mostly silent. He didn’t show his fear like his CEO or Louis, but it was clear that he was on unfamiliar ground. Savoy was a man of words, his appearance alone usually made him the focal point. 

Marmion fiddled with the coin, not really regarding Savoy, but he started to talk nonetheless. “I live in a small village seventy kilometers from Paris. There was an accident. My family had an accident. A madman crashed into the car, they were all seriously injured. I have no idea what happened to the other driver.” It was clear from his low, brittle voice that it still hurt him to talk about the matter. The pain, the mourning and the hopelessness were easy to hear. 

“The paramedics were there very quickly and provided primary care, but they all had to go to the hospital. Every second counted.”

Everyone was listening raptly. Marmion’s eyes were still fixed on his coin. “The ambulance driver wanted to go to the nearest hospital, which was only ten minutes away, but that hospital had been closed. So they had to take the next one, which was thirty minutes away. The patients were all dead before the ambulances even reached the front door.”

He was silent for a moment, gathering himself. Then he looked directly into Savoy’s eyes. “They died, because the hospital, that could have saved them, had been closed. Apparently, it wasn’t lucrative enough anymore. And this financial decision was made by the king. The *king*! A stranger!”

His voice had been getting louder with the last words and now he quickly approached Louis, who immediately tensed and flinched. But Marmion reigned himself in at the last moment. “I want Louis – and all of you as well – to know what it means when the king makes a decision. He brings death.”

“You’re wrong, I never closed a hospital. I don’t remember. You have the wrong man,” Louis stammered, but this only brought Marmion to the boiling point. His face reddened with rage and he pressed his lips together. “You.Don’t.Remember?” he asked, spitting out every word like a bullet.

“Yes, I don’t own that many hospitals. It wasn’t me, it was one of my employees.” Louis saw a chance, but he had misjudged his opponent. “No, don’t try to put the blame on someone else. It was you. You decided and you will pay for that decision!” he shouted and shot.


	24. Final Shot

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The end is now here. I hope that this chapter will be satisfied for you guys and worth it. And PLEASE read the end for the important information! But now have fun to read it.

Last time in chapter 23:

“Yes, I don’t own that many hospitals. It wasn’t me, it was one of my employees.” Louis saw a chance, but he had misjudged his opponent. “No, don’t try to put the blame on someone else. It was you. You decided and you will pay for that decision!” he shouted and shot.

Luckily, it had only been another warning shot, but everybody in the room gasped in shock. Louis was now kneeling in front of Marmion, the fear of getting shot bigger than his pride and his desire to stand up to the man. Marmion calmed down and put the weapon away again. Treville and D’Artagnan relaxed slightly.

**********************************

Nathan and Henry took Henry’s car back to the chateau. They had almost reached the entrance gate when they saw someone jog in their direction. “Hold on a sec, I know that guy,” Henry stopped at the curb and he and Nathan got out of the car, as the man came closer.   
“Dude, that’s Marc, what is he doing here?” Nathan wondered. By now, Marc had recognized them too and headed towards them. He stopped in front of the car, panting heavily. He definitely needed to work on his endurance. 

“Marc, what are you doing here? And why are you panting like a racehorse?”  
“The chateau….Marmion….Aramis….” Marc gasped, still panting for breath and unable to get out more than one word at a time. 

Henry grabbed a bottle of water from the backseat and handed it to Marc. “Here, drink something and then start at the beginning.”

“I have to get help and I don’t have a cellphone with me. The chateau has been attacked and is under siege now. Louis and the others have been taken hostage, they’re in danger. He plans to kill them and he lets a coin toss decide. It’s barbaric. My coin toss won and I could get away.”

It took a moment for Henry and Nathan to wrap their heads around this. “And what about Aramis?” Henry asked? 

“He was shot when we tried to fight back at first.” Mark lowered his eyes to the ground, slowly realizing the kind of hell he had been able to escape. But he had no intention of staying safely outside now, he wanted to help the others.

Henry thought the same. “Okay, so we’re team B. We’re going in.” He moved towards the driver’s door, but Nathan stopped him. “There’s only the three of us, and if they managed to invade the chateau and take out all the guards, they’re in the majority. We can’t do this alone.”

As usual, Nathan approached the matter logically and had analyzed possible plans. Henry gave in. “Do you know who exactly is at the chateau?” he asked Marc. 

Marc thought for a moment, mentally going through everybody he had seen. “I haven’t seen Athos anywhere, so I don’t know if he’s there, but everyone else has been taken hostage.”

Henry nodded. “Okay, we’ll go to Athos.”  
“And what if he isn’t home? It’s his day off, he can do whatever he wants,” Marc said.

“I’ll locate his cellphone, so we know exactly where he is,” Nathan said, grabbing his laptop from the backseat. Quickly he entered Athos’ phone number and the program returned the GPS coordinates. Nathan knew the place, so all three got into the car and Henry drove off.

*****************************

The man in the garden moaned in pain. He was lying below one of the windows, surrounded by shards of glass. A few of them had landed on his chest. The sun was shining in his face and he blinked against the bright light. The guards at the outer wall took no note of him, so they didn’t notice that he slowly sat up and examined himself. He didn’t seem to have any serious injuries, mostly just a number of bruises. His chest hurt slightly with each breath, so he carefully checked for breaks. Luckily nothing seemed to be wrong with his abdomen. When he came to the upper ribs on his left side, he grimaced. So that’s where the pain came from, apparently he had either cracked or broken one or two ribs. He tried to remember what had happened before his fall out of the window.

Marmion had taken all of them hostage in the ballroom. There had been a small commotion, he and Porthos had tried to fight back, then there was the shot. He had crashed through the window and after that, everything had gone black. Hectically, he searched for an entry wound, a blood stain, anything. Nothing. That couldn't be. His searching fingers brushed against the cross around his neck and found something odd. He took off the chain that Anne had given him and looked at it. The bullet was stuck exactly in the middle of the cross, where the two arms met. He made the sign of the cross and pressed his lips against the pendant in gratitude. God must have held a protective hand over him. 

Slowly, Aramis got to his feet. He didn’t want to put too much strain on his ribs, but in this situation and with the danger the others in the chateau were in, he couldn’t just lay around doing nothing. He leaned against the wall below the window he had fallen out of, but someone had closed the shutters again, so he heard only muted words and snatches of phrases, not enough to let him know what was going on inside the ballroom. This part of the garden was empty, only two men were on patrol, but they were far enough away from him not to be a danger. As silently as possible, he limped along the wall. That way he only needed to cover one side. He had to get back into the chateau and as unobtrusively as possible.

*****************************************************

Porthos couldn’t sit around any longer doing nothing. He walked around the dimly lit basement room and examined the wall.

“Porthos?” Levrefe asked, watching him skeptically. 

“There must be a way out somewhere,” Porthos replied, continuing his examination.  
Now the others joined in and checked the other two walls. After a short search one of the men called out “Here, I found something!” He was standing beside one of three windows that had been set into the wall. They were larger than an average basement window, which was probably due to the architectural history of the chateau. Porthos, Durrand and Levrefe immediately went over to him. “Here, the window frame is loose on two sides, with a little force we could push it out.” Porthos checked the statement for himself and noted the missing resistance. Apparently the window hadn’t been set in right. He pushed a little harder and after the second try the window frame came clear of the wall. From the back of the group cheers could be heard, but for Porthos the work had only just started. He would start cheering once everyone was safe. Levrefe and Durrand gave him a leg up, so that Porthos could climb through the opening. 

**********************************************

Aramis entered the chateau through a small side door. Luckily, no one was around to see him and the corridor inside the chateau was empty as well. He couldn’t even hear the sound of footsteps from further away. He moved silently through the corridors, heading for a specific destination. Before each corner and each new corridor, he stopped and made sure the coast   
was clear. 

He stopped in front of the door to the surveillance room. There might be up to three men in there, but he had the element of surprise on his side. He stormed inside and took out one guard, then another. Luckily for him there were only these two. Aramis quickly closed the door. He took some zip ties from a drawer, tied the men together and leaned them against a wall out of the way. Then he took a seat in front of the monitors and checked the situation. 

Thanks to the cameras he could see every room and corridor, including the ballroom, where Marmion still held D’Artagnan, Treville, Louis and Savoy hostage.

He couldn’t find Porthos, but maybe his friend had been taken to a different room or was   
standing in a blind spot. The corridors were empty, apparently no guards were on patrol, which is why he had been able to reach the surveillance room so quickly and easily. Aramis continued scrolling through the various cameras. There was only one patrol in the garden, and the outer gates were manned by only two guards as well. All in all they had been pretty lax with the posting of guards, apparently feeling safe enough with everyone locked up somewhere.

Then Aramis saw Anne and Constance, huddled together in an empty room off the long corridor opposite the Diana Gallery. He noted the position and checked, if there were any guards around. 

He grabbed a tablet from beside the computer, routed the video feed to the smaller device and locked the computer, so that only Treville would have access to the cameras. He confiscated the weapons of the two bound and still unconscious men and cautiously opened the door. The video feed showed no danger.

**********************************

Anne and Constance were still sitting side by side on the floor. Anne had calmed down a little. She was still in shock and overwhelmed by the whole situation, but thanks to Constance she now had a little hope again as well. Both women startled when they heard muted sounds from the other side of the door. “What was that?” Constance asked, her voice trembling. Anne silently shook her head, since she had no idea either. Anne stood up, pulling Constance with her. They walked over to the other side of the room and squeezed into the corner, trying their best to become invisible, but kept their eyes on the door.

There was a dull thud from outside, then the door opened. Anne pressed her hand against her mouth to stop herself from screaming in fear and stress.

*******************************************

Athos and Jeany sat at one of the tables in the small café that belonged to the gallery, enjoying their dinner and talking. Suddenly the doorbell rang. Jeany got up and opened the door, to find three almost desperate young men in front of her. Without a word, they pushed past her and headed straight for Athos, who saw them coming and sighed. Their appearance could only mean trouble. He put down the cutlery, certain that he wouldn’t get the chance to finish his dinner.

“Athos, you have to come with us, the chateau was attacked!” Quickly the trio brought Athos up to speed. He listened wordlessly and tried to process everything they told him. Jeany only needed to hear half of it, before she knew what to do. While Marc and Henry continued their story, she went into the bedroom and picked up Athos’ equipment. When she came back, the young men had apparently finished, and she wordlessly handed Athos his stuff, receiving a grateful look in return.

He gave her a quick kiss and headed out with the three recruits, knowing that Jeany understood that he had to go. As long as he always came back to her, she would never stop him from leaving. That was his life and if she wanted to be a part of it, she had to get used to that.

The small group got into the car and headed back to the chateau. The drive took only ten minutes. They parked a short distance away from the southern gate, where no one would see them coming. Marc’s statement, that the gate manned by Marmion’s guards now, proved to be correct. Athos took a look at them, but since this time they had the advantage in numbers, they had no problem taking them out. The guards were bound and Athos, Marc, Nathan and Henry entered the grounds of the chateau.

**********************************

In the meantime, Porthos and the other men had all climbed out of the basement window into the garden. They would be quicker and more efficient, if they split up, so Porthos divided the group into smaller teams. They wanted to retake the chateau from multiple directions. The ballroom would be their first priority, since that was where most of the hostages were being held. Then they would take care of the rest of the chateau, as well as the gardens and the outer gates.

*************************************

Aramis opened the door and took a quick look around the room. At the opposite end he saw Anne and Constance. Anne needed only seconds to realize, who was standing there in the doorway, before she ran over to him and he had just time enough to open his arms and catch her. She was so incredibly glad to see him again. She had thought him dead or at least seriously injured and now he stood before her and he had even rescued her. In that moment she didn’t care who could see them and what they could see, she just kissed him passionately. Aramis forgot about their need for secrecy as well, and kissed her back just as passionately. Constance kept her distance, simply glad for the both of them. She knew about her friend’s feelings and she had her “suspicions” when it came to Aramis as well, and was all the more happy that those two were reunited again. 

Aramis and Anne separated again and looked into each other’s eyes, overjoyed. Quickly Aramis focused back on the situation at hand and let go of Anne completely. “I need to get you to safety. The corridors are empty, there was just one guard in front of this room and I took care of him, so don’t worry.”

He glanced at the tablet again. The corridors were still unguarded, so they could move freely. “Follow me,” he told the two ladies and stepped out of the door. Anne followed behind him and Constance brought up the rear. When they entered the gallery with all the paintings, another group of people came around the corner. Aramis quickly recognized Porthos and the other guards. 

“Porthos.” The friends shared a quick embrace, then Porthos greeted Anne and Constance with a short nod. Aramis high-fived Levrefe and Durrand. “Knew you’d have a plan,” Porthos said.

Aramis grinned, before they became serious again. “Durrand, Levrefe, you stay with the   
ladies. We’ll go to the ballroom,” Porthos ordered, nodding to everybody before he left. 

Aramis unobtrusively squeezed Anne’s hands and followed Porthos. The ladies would be in good hands with Durrand and Levrefe, so he was free to concentrate on their job to rescue the King, Treville and D’Artagnan. The remaining guards followed them as well.

*************************************

In the ballroom, Marmion forced Louis to make another decision. “Well, King, head or cross?” he asked, while one of his guards held a gun to the head of another of Louis’ employees. Louis desperately scrubbed a hand across his face. He was at the end of his rope. 

“King!” Marmion said, louder. Even that couldn’t get Louis to answer. Suddenly, a voice beside him answered. “Head.” Savoy had made the decision for him, staring fixedly at Marmion. Like before, Marmion raised his hand away from the coin. Another shot sounded and seconds later the lifeless body of the hapless employee fell to the ground. Savoy hung his head. He had not expected this, but he was tougher than his brother-in-law. 

Treville and D’Artagnan found this torture more and more unbearable, especially since D’Artagnan had no idea, what had happened to his friends and his girlfriend. 

Someone had to do something, but even Treville saw no chance for attack or escape at the moment. All they could do was hang in and pin their hopes on Marc. Maybe Marmion had really let him go and he managed to get help.

**********************************

Athos, Nathan, Henry and Marc had left the gardens and had entered the chateau unnoticed.   
“Why aren’t there any guards around?” Marc and Nathan cautiously looked around. They hadn’t expected this. Especially Marc thought that Marmion had posted a lot more guards.

“Good for us, so quit complaining. We’ll slowly move to the ballroom now – and be quiet about it. Marc, you cover our six.” Athos took point, then came Nathan, Henry behind him,   
and as ordered, Marc brought up the rear. They didn’t have far to go to the ballroom.  
They approached the ballroom from the right side of the corridor. The large double doors were closed. They were a good ten paces away from the entrance, when Athos saw Aramis, Porthos and a group of regular chateau guards approach from the other side. He silently signaled to them and both groups retreated to a nearby corridor, so they could talk without being overheard. Two of the men stood watch on either side of the corridor and a third one kept an eye on the door to the ballroom. 

“There are at least ten men still in there, including D’Artagnan and Treville. Louis and Savoy were in the middle of the room. It’s Louis Marmion is after, so he needs to be our priority,” Porthos reported the situation, keeping his voice low. Athos and the others listened attentively. 

“Okay, how do we proceed?” Athos asked, looking around. Instead of one of the more experienced men, Nathan spoke up. “Are there any surveillance cameras in the room?”

“Yes, here. I rerouted the camera feed,” Aramis said, handing Nathan the tablet. “Good, I can use the cameras to send a signal to D’Artagnan and Treville, so they can be prepared. You storm the room, protect Louis and we’ll be in control again,” Nathan suggested, looking around the group enthusiastically.

Athos, Porthos and Aramis exchanged a skeptical look. It sounded like a very risky move, but what choice did they have? They would have stormed the room anyway, and that way they could at least warn the hostages and increase their chances.

“Okay, we’ll do it that way. We’ll keep the tablet. Nathan, you and Henry go to the surveillance room, while we go to the guard room. Porthos and Aramis aren’t armed,” Athos detailed the plan. The men nodded and went their separate ways.

Since Nathan had no experience in hand-to-hand combat or using a weapon, Henry guarded him on the way to the surveillance room. 

Athos, Porthos, Aramis and the other guards went to the guard room to arm themselves and went back to the ballroom.

Once Nathan and Henry had reached the surveillance room, Nathan took a seat in front of the computers and took control of them. He selected the two cameras inside the ballroom and moved them with a small joystick standing beside the keyboard. 

**********************************

Inside the ballroom, Louis and Savoy were arguing quietly. Marmion kept looking around, giving orders to his men. D’Artagnan had no idea how the situation would develop. Like Treville, he kept looking for a chance to put an end to this situation. Suddenly, he noticed that the security cameras mounted at the top of the pillars kept swiveling from left to right. 

So their own people had at least the surveillance room under control again. Very good, they were making progress. But why did the cameras swivel like that? D’Artagnan took it as a sign and unobtrusively made Treville aware of it. Marmion didn’t notice any of it. Treville came to the same conclusion and nodded to D’Artagnan.

“Hey, Marmion! What’s the point of all this? No end in sight? What else have you planned? You want to keep us here indefinitely? People will notice. Louis has appointments, we all have families. The police will be here soon.” D’Artagnan tried to distract Marmion, and it was working.

Marmion moved towards him and was just about to answer, when the door was forced open and several men, among them Athos, Porthos and Aramis, stormed inside. Shots were fired, bullets were flying. The hostages, who had been crowded together in the middle of the room, ducked and tried to crawl out of the line of fire and find some cover.

Treville threw himself on top of Louis, using his own body to protect the king. Savoy and Cluzet scuttled towards the wall, taking cover behind the piano. Not an ideal position, but better than trying to evade the flying bullets in the otherwise empty room.

Porthos, Athos and Aramis, together with the chateau guards, had a slight majority and were able to take down Marmion’s men, although it took some effort. Some of the men lay injured on the ground, and one or two were dead. Athos shot at Marmion, because the man was about to jump out of a window, but one of the others, maybe his second-in-command, jumped in front of Marmion and took the bullet, so that Marmion could escape. Aramis immediately sprinted off and jumped out of the window after him, trying to stop Marmion. Athos immediately went over to Treville and Louis, protecting them with his rifle. D’Artagnan stood beside the wall close to Porthos, in a slight crouch. Porthos and one of Marmion’s armed servants were still shooting at each other. Bullets were flying between the two men. 

Suddenly, out of the blue, D’Artagnan sank to his knees. At first, it wasn’t clear, what had happened. Porthos made short work of shooting the servant, and ran over to his friend. Athos looked at him as well and noticed a growing red stain on D’Artagnan’s shirt. Bevor either one of his friends could reach him, D’Artagnan collapsed completely and lay unmoving on the floor.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, this is the end….. or not…. But first of all I wanna say thank you. Thank you to my best beta reader Luthien17. What would be this story without you? And of course to Nihagara. SO much thank you for translating it. I know sometimes Im very pushing, but I’m so grateful for your excellent work. Thank you for all the comments from Lady Neve, GingietheSnap, DebbieF, Hsg, Snowchic47. And of course for the Kudos from Snowchic47, SerenJ, Greenlips24, GingietheSnap, Luthien17, Hsg, and DebbieF and 11 unknown guests. 
> 
> So last but not least, maybe you thought with this huge cliffhanger, but there is a new story in line. This story will have the name “coast of dreams” and …. It will start tomorrow, Monday 13.8. So I would be so happy when I will see you there again. Huge kisses and hugs to all of you.

**Author's Note:**

> Like for the last story, I also will post a lot of used material, pictures, impression, inspiration etc on my tumblr blog. Will be cool when you have time and will check I out. I also will post an announcement for every new chapter with the pictures I used in that specific chapter right after the upload, so you won’t miss anything. 
> 
> [tumblr blog](http://mexxi3003.tumblr.com/)  
> I also have a pinterest account and a file with the pictures.   
> [Pinterest](https://pin.it/cvitwp6cytt3x6)
> 
> Hope I will see you there.


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